The article, “Differences in Normative Beliefs and Tobacco Product Use by Age Among Adults Who Smoke: Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Nationally Representative Sample,” has been published in SAj.
The authors state that the prevalence of combusted cigarette (CC) smoking among older adults is stagnant, with 0 declines attributable to e-cigarette (EC) use. Given that normative beliefs are associated with quitting and switching to ECs, they assessed cross-sectional associations between age, CC, and EC descriptive and injunctive norms and potential interactions with tobacco use behavior.
In the AUTHORS’ OWN WORDS, they relate the importance of their work:
“Despite the influence of social norms on tobacco use, there is limited research focused on older adults or differences across age groups. The current study among people who use CCs in Wave 5 (2018-2019) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study aims to determine whether the relationship between social norms and (1) past-year CC quit attempts and (2) past-month EC use varies as a function of age. We hypothesize that positive CC social norms will be negatively associated with quit attempts and vice versa, and the relationships will be stronger among older adults. We also hypothesize that positive EC social norms will be positively associated with EC use and vice versa, and that these relationships will likewise be stronger with older age.”
“Social norms about CCs and ECs differ by age, with older age generally associated with both positive and negative norms related to CCs and negative norms related to ECs. Socioenvironmental factors such as healthcare provider advice and home smoking bans are associated with both tobacco use behavior and age, suggesting that further emphasis on these factors can further improve clinical outcomes. Communication interventions would also be helpful to correct misperceptions and normative beliefs about tobacco products. A social norms communications campaign approach, for instance, could be developed to increase perceptions of approval of EC among adults ≥55 by their peers, making them more likely to consider switching from CCs. Social norms should continue to be evaluated and addressed, especially as the tobacco regulatory environment changes, leading to even larger disparities related to age, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, and more.”