Tobacco Risk Information and Comparative Risk Assessment of E-Cigarettes Vs. Cigarettes: Application of the Reinforcing Spirals Model

• Published in: Journal of health communication 2019-04, Vol.24 (4), p.422-431
• Main Authors: Jun, Jungmi, Kim, Sei-Hill, Wu, Linwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictions; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Cigarette Smoking - epidemiology; Cigarette Smoking - psychology; Cigarettes; Consumer advertising; Discounts; Electronic cigarettes; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Health information; Humans; Information Seeking Behavior; Male; Mass Media; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; News media; Non-Smokers - psychology; Reinforcement, Psychology; Risk; Risk assessment; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk factors; Risk perception; Social media; Social Mobility; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tobacco; Tobacco Products; United States - epidemiology; Vaping - epidemiology; Vaping - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1081-0730; 1087-0415; 1087-0415
• DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2019.1630526

We examine how individuals seek information about e-cigarette risk and selectively expose themselves to media sources that may provide information consistent with their existing beliefs and behaviors related to e-cigarettes in application of the Reinforcing Spirals Model (Slater, 2007). Additionally, the associations among e-cigarette risk information-seeking, tobacco risk information exposure via media, and comparative risk assessment of e-cigarettes versus conventional cigarettes were identified. The results were compared among current users, former users, and those who had never used e-cigarettes ("never users"). A nationally representative data from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Surveys - FDA was employed. Our analyses suggest the presence of comparative risk perception among current users as assessing the health harm and addiction risk of e-cigarettes significantly lower than cigarettes. Current users did not avoid information about the health effects of e-cigarettes; they were more likely to look for such information than former and never users. Current users' e-cigarette risk information-seeking was negatively associated with the difference between perceived addiction risk of e-cigarettes and that of cigarettes. Current users' tobacco risk information exposure via social media was related with a lower level of the perceived risk of e-cigarettes, while such exposure via news media was related with a higher level of perceived risk of e-cigarettes. Our findings suggest the need for regulating and counteracting the prevalent e-cigarette information that discounts the relative risks of e-cigarettes as well as the potential of news media as influential sources helping current users scrutinize the risks.