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.
