April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: The Theory of Planned Theory and Youth Vaping Behavior: The Examination of the Effects of Attitude, Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control
Introduction
The theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) endeavors to explain health behaviors. It is elucidated that behavioral intention serves as the most robust predictor of future behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). In the context of vaping, intentions are supposed to be positively linked with attitude, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms, and negatively linked with perceived behavioral control (Cialdini et al., 1991; Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). However, although some studies confirmed this framework since they found that attitudes and norms significantly predict intentions to vape (Donaldson et al., 2021, Scheinfeld, 2019), some studies showed conflicting results because they did not find a significant connection between injunctive norms and vaping intention (Yang, 2023). Hence, this study aims to examine the application of the TPB to youth’s vaping context to understand the influences of attitude, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control on the behavior decisions of youth.
Method
To examine the TPB in vaping context, we conducted an online survey among undergraduate students at a Midwestern university in the U.S. to examine the relationship among vaping attitudes, the descriptive norms of vaping, injunctive norms of vaping, perceived behavioral control, and vaping behavior intention, using Structural Equation Modeling. An initial measurement model confirmed factor structure of vaping attitudes, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control as latent variables (χ2(71) =159.34, p=.00, RMSEA =.06, 90%CI = [.045, .073], CFI=0.96, NNFI/TLI =0.95, SRMR=.07) (See Table 1). Subsequently, a theoretical model incorporated vaping behavior intention, and control variables (age, sex, race, college level, and sexual orientation).
Results
This model revealed significant relationships between these constructs with a good fit, χ2(151)=324.93, p<.00, RMSEA=.06, 90% CI = [.050, .067], CFI =.93, NNFI/TLI =.92, SRMR =.08, and explaining 61% of the variance in vaping behavior intention. Specifically (See Table 2), positive attitude toward vaping increased vaping behavior intention (β = .65, p<.00). Descriptive norms of support vaping were positively associated with vaping behavior intention (β = .09, p <.05). Injunctive norms of supporting vaping were negatively associate with vaping behavior intention (β = - .14, p<.01). However, there was not a significant connection between perceived behavioral control and vaping behavior intention (β = - .05, p=.31).
Discussion
The study provides evidence that supportive attitudes toward vaping, and descriptive norms increased youth’s vaping behavior intention, which aligns with previous studies and confirms assumptions of TPB (Donaldson et al., 2021; Scheinfeld, 2019). However, injunctive norms were negatively associated with vaping behavior intention, which provided controversial findings with TPB. One possible explanation might be that independence and anti-conformity personality influence college students’ social responses (Willis, 1965). Additionally, the connection between the perceived behavioral control and vaping behavior intention was not confirmed. Since we use the barriers to access e-cigarettes as the predictor, it is possible that our measurements do not reflect the core parts of perceived behavioral control. Hence, future research could focus on the evaluation of the measurement of the previous study of norms and perceived behavioral control to help professionals understand the paths and layers of the TPB.
The theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) endeavors to explain health behaviors. It is elucidated that behavioral intention serves as the most robust predictor of future behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). In the context of vaping, intentions are supposed to be positively linked with attitude, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms, and negatively linked with perceived behavioral control (Cialdini et al., 1991; Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). However, although some studies confirmed this framework since they found that attitudes and norms significantly predict intentions to vape (Donaldson et al., 2021, Scheinfeld, 2019), some studies showed conflicting results because they did not find a significant connection between injunctive norms and vaping intention (Yang, 2023). Hence, this study aims to examine the application of the TPB to youth’s vaping context to understand the influences of attitude, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control on the behavior decisions of youth.
Method
To examine the TPB in vaping context, we conducted an online survey among undergraduate students at a Midwestern university in the U.S. to examine the relationship among vaping attitudes, the descriptive norms of vaping, injunctive norms of vaping, perceived behavioral control, and vaping behavior intention, using Structural Equation Modeling. An initial measurement model confirmed factor structure of vaping attitudes, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control as latent variables (χ2(71) =159.34, p=.00, RMSEA =.06, 90%CI = [.045, .073], CFI=0.96, NNFI/TLI =0.95, SRMR=.07) (See Table 1). Subsequently, a theoretical model incorporated vaping behavior intention, and control variables (age, sex, race, college level, and sexual orientation).
Results
This model revealed significant relationships between these constructs with a good fit, χ2(151)=324.93, p<.00, RMSEA=.06, 90% CI = [.050, .067], CFI =.93, NNFI/TLI =.92, SRMR =.08, and explaining 61% of the variance in vaping behavior intention. Specifically (See Table 2), positive attitude toward vaping increased vaping behavior intention (β = .65, p<.00). Descriptive norms of support vaping were positively associated with vaping behavior intention (β = .09, p <.05). Injunctive norms of supporting vaping were negatively associate with vaping behavior intention (β = - .14, p<.01). However, there was not a significant connection between perceived behavioral control and vaping behavior intention (β = - .05, p=.31).
Discussion
The study provides evidence that supportive attitudes toward vaping, and descriptive norms increased youth’s vaping behavior intention, which aligns with previous studies and confirms assumptions of TPB (Donaldson et al., 2021; Scheinfeld, 2019). However, injunctive norms were negatively associated with vaping behavior intention, which provided controversial findings with TPB. One possible explanation might be that independence and anti-conformity personality influence college students’ social responses (Willis, 1965). Additionally, the connection between the perceived behavioral control and vaping behavior intention was not confirmed. Since we use the barriers to access e-cigarettes as the predictor, it is possible that our measurements do not reflect the core parts of perceived behavioral control. Hence, future research could focus on the evaluation of the measurement of the previous study of norms and perceived behavioral control to help professionals understand the paths and layers of the TPB.