Understanding Potential Mechanisms of Vaping Prevention Messages: A Mediation Analysis of the Real Cost Campaign Advertisements
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| Title: | Understanding Potential Mechanisms of Vaping Prevention Messages: A Mediation Analysis of the Real Cost Campaign Advertisements |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Talia Kieu (ORCID |
| Source: | Health Education & Behavior. 2025 52(1):102-112. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Cancer Institute (NCI) (DHHS/NIH) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (DHHS/PHS), Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) |
| Contract Number: | R01CA246600 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Public Education, Smoking, Prevention, Advertising, At Risk Persons, Risk Management, Adolescents, Attitude Change, Beliefs, Addictive Behavior, Health Behavior, Social Influences, Self Efficacy, Behavior Change, Individual Characteristics |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10901981241278565 |
| ISSN: | 1090-1981 1552-6127 |
| Abstract: | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed a public education campaign, The Real Cost, that reduced youth susceptibility to tobacco product use. We sought to identify the mechanisms that may underlie the impact of The Real Cost ads on susceptibility to vaping to inform youth tobacco prevention campaigns. Our online randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04836455) examined a large sample of U.S. adolescents (n = 1,348) who had multiple exposures to Real Cost ads or control videos over a 3-week period in 2021. To examine potential mediating pathways between The Real Cost ads and susceptibility to vaping, we examined theory-based psychosocial and message-related variables. The largest impact of The Real Cost ads on susceptibility was via more negative attitudes toward vaping ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b]= -0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.25, -0.06]). Other mediation paths were via improved health harm risk beliefs ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.08; 95% CI = [-0.13, -0.04]), addiction risk beliefs ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.04; 95% CI = [-0.06, -0.01]), injunctive norms against vaping ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.05; 95% CI = [-0.09, -0.02]), negative affect ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.05; 95% CI = [-0.08, -0.02]), and cognitive elaboration ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.03; 95% CI = [-0.05, -0.003]). Our findings suggest that ads that target negative attitudes may decrease susceptibility to vaping among youth. Our findings also introduce normative pressure as a novel factor that may be important for vaping prevention messages. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1467241 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed a public education campaign, The Real Cost, that reduced youth susceptibility to tobacco product use. We sought to identify the mechanisms that may underlie the impact of The Real Cost ads on susceptibility to vaping to inform youth tobacco prevention campaigns. Our online randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04836455) examined a large sample of U.S. adolescents (n = 1,348) who had multiple exposures to Real Cost ads or control videos over a 3-week period in 2021. To examine potential mediating pathways between The Real Cost ads and susceptibility to vaping, we examined theory-based psychosocial and message-related variables. The largest impact of The Real Cost ads on susceptibility was via more negative attitudes toward vaping ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b]= -0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.25, -0.06]). Other mediation paths were via improved health harm risk beliefs ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.08; 95% CI = [-0.13, -0.04]), addiction risk beliefs ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.04; 95% CI = [-0.06, -0.01]), injunctive norms against vaping ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.05; 95% CI = [-0.09, -0.02]), negative affect ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.05; 95% CI = [-0.08, -0.02]), and cognitive elaboration ([beta][subscript a]*[beta][subscript b] = -0.03; 95% CI = [-0.05, -0.003]). Our findings suggest that ads that target negative attitudes may decrease susceptibility to vaping among youth. Our findings also introduce normative pressure as a novel factor that may be important for vaping prevention messages. |
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| ISSN: | 1090-1981 1552-6127 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10901981241278565 |
