Young adult peer crowds, e-cigarette advertising exposure, and e-cigarette use: Test of a mediation model

Background: Young people often make lifestyle choices or engage in behaviors, including tobacco product use, based on the norms of peer crowds they affiliate with. Peer crowds are defined as reputation-based peer groups centered around lifestyle norms (e.g., Hipster, Surfer, Hip Hop). This study examined the effects of peer crowd affiliation on e-cigarette use via increased exposure to e-cigarette advertising and increased social network ecigarette use. Method: Data were collected from 1398 ethnically diverse young adults (Mean age = 22.3; SD = 3.2; 62% women) in six-month intervals over one year. Path analyses were used to test a mediation model in which advertising exposure and social network e-cigarette use at six-month follow-up were specified to mediate the effects of baseline peer crowd affiliation on current e-cigarette use at one-year follow-up. Results: Affiliations with Popular-Social and Alternative peer crowds at baseline were associated with higher ecigarette advertising exposure at six-month follow-up. Affiliation with Popular-Social peer crowd at baseline was associated with increased social network e-cigarette use at six-month follow-up. Affiliation with Popular-Social peer crowds at baseline was found to have a statistically significant indirect effect on increased e-cigarette use at one-year follow-up via increased e-cigarette advertising exposure at six-month follow-up. Conclusions: Better understanding Popular-Social peer crowds may be highly relevant for development of tailored media and other interventions for e-cigarette use prevention among young adults.