Peers,Perceptions,and E-Cigarettes: A Social Learning Approach to Explaining E-Cigarette Use Among Youth

Abstract

This study uses social learning theory to examine whether differential associations with e-cigarette-using peers is related to personal e-cigarette use among youth, and the extent to which this relationship is explained by personal risk perceptions of e-cigarettes. Moreover, this study tests whether the mediation process is moderated by type of e-cigarette user. This study uses a sample of high school seniors from the 2016 Monitoring the Future Study (N = 2,100), and a subsample of e-cigarette users (n = 523). Analyses are carried out using OLS and logistic regression. Findings demonstrate that higher levels of peer e-cigarette use are related to higher odds of personal e-cigarette use, but that risk perceptions of e-cigarettes only explain a modest portion of that relationship (about 10%). Furthermore, the mediation process does not appear to vary by type of e-cigarette user. Future directions and policy implications are discussed.