Social Media, Acculturation and E-cigarette Use among Mexican American College Students in South Texas

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Hispanic communities are targeted by tobacco marketing. The continued growth of social media platforms (e.g., YouTube, TikTok) provides a novel and inexpensive forum through which the tobacco industry can market its products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Hispanic young adults of college age use social media at higher rates than adults from other age and ethnic groups, and are attending college in unprecedented numbers. Recent data indicate that college attendance does not offer the protective effect against ENDS use that is observed with cigarettes, as college students, including Hispanics, have the highest prevalence of ENDS use of all age groups and are more likely than their non-college peers to use ENDS. Yet, little is known about the role of ENDS-related social media on Hispanic college students’ ENDS use and the underlying mechanisms or mediators that explain the social media effects. In addition, a major limitation of prior research is the examination of Hispanics as a single group, rather than as distinct groups that vary on tobacco use by country-of-origin and level of acculturation. We propose to examine the associations between ENDS-related social media exposure and engagement on subsequent ENDS use among the largest subgroup of Hispanics, Mexican Americans, and we consider the role of acculturation as a moderator in the aforementioned associations. The overall goals of the proposed project are a) to identify mechanisms underlying ENDS-related social media exposure and engagement, and ENDS use among Mexican American college students and b) to examine the role of acculturation as a moderator of these mechanisms. The Specific Aims are to 1) characterize ENDS-related social media and ENDS use from the perspective of Mexican American college students, 2) identify the intrapersonal mediators in the associations between ENDS-related social media at baseline and subsequent ENDS use two years later among Mexican American college students, and 3) determine the moderating role of acculturation on the direct and mediated paths between ENDS-related social media at baseline and subsequent ENDS use two years later . To examine Aim 1, we will conduct an ecological momentary assessment study and qualitative one-on-one interviews with 51 college students recruited from one of three colleges in Texas with the largest proportions of Hispanic students . To examine Aims 2 and 3, we will conduct a three-wave yearly survey with 1,500 college students recruited from these three colleges . A key innovation of this project is the collection of both subjective and objective data to quantify and describe social-media exposure and engagement, which will allow us to characterize content that appeals to and entices Mexican American college students to use ENDS. Results can uniquely inform culturally relevant interventions and health communication campaigns directed at high-risk Mexican American college students to decrease ENDS use. Our study team is highly qualified, with diverse complementary expertise in tobacco use behaviors, related research experience and publications in key areas.