Participation in Electronic Cigarette-Related Social Media Communities: Effects on Attitudes towards Quitting, Self-efficacy, and Intention to Quit.

Abstract: This study examined the effects of joining and actively participating in e-cigarette-related social media communities (SMCs), along with e-cigarette-related subjective norms, and social identification with other e-cigarette users, on current e-cigarette users’ attitudes towards quitting, self-efficacy, and intention to quit. Results (N=1016) indicated that greater e-cigarette-related social media use, more positive e-cigarette-related subjective norms and greater identification with other e-cigarette users, resulted in significantly more negative attitudes towards quitting, lower self-efficacy and lower intention to quit. E-cigarette-related social media use also interacted with subjective norms to influence intention to quit, and with identification with other e-cigarette users to influence self-efficacy.