Normative misperceptions of tobacco use among university students in seven European countries: baseline findings of the 'Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE' study.
BACKGROUND
Research conducted in North America suggests that students tend to overestimate tobacco use among their peers. This perceived norm may impact personal tobacco use. It remains unclear how these perceptions influence tobacco use among European students. The two aims were to investigate possible self-other discrepancies regarding personal use and attitudes towards use and to evaluate if perceptions of peer use and peer approval of use are associated with personal use and approval of tobacco use.


METHODS
The EU-funded 'Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE' study was conducted in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom. In total, 4482 students (71% female) answered an online survey including questions on personal and perceived tobacco use and personal and perceived attitudes towards tobacco use.


RESULTS
Across all countries, the majority of students perceived tobacco use of their peers to be higher than their own use. The perception that the majority (>50%) of peers used tobacco regularly in the past two months was significantly associated with higher odds for personal regular use (OR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.90-3.73). The perception that the majority of peers approve of tobacco use was significantly associated with higher odds for personal approval of tobacco use (OR: 6.49, 95% CI: 4.54-9.28).


CONCLUSIONS
Perceived norms are an important predictor of personal tobacco use and attitudes towards use. Interventions addressing perceived norms may be a viable method to change attitudes and tobacco use among European students, and may be a component of future tobacco control policy.
Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Achterstr. 30, 28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: pischke@bips.uni-bremen.de.
Claudia R
CR
Pischke
Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Achterstr. 30, 28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: helmer@bips.uni-bremen.de.
Stefanie M
SM
Helmer
Division of Psychology, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jmcalaney@bournemouth.ac.uk.
John
J
McAlaney
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, 101 Clarendon Road, West Yorkshire, LS2 9LJ, Leeds, United Kingdom. Electronic address: b.m.bewick@LEEDS.AC.UK.
Bridgette M
BM
Bewick
Research & Development, Occupational Health Services Mensura, Italiëlei 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: Bart.Vriesacker@mensura.be.
Bart
B
Vriesacker
Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: guido.vanhal@ua.ac.be.
Guido
G
Van Hal
Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 33824 Braunschweig, Germany. Electronic address: rafael.mikolajczyk@helmholtz-hzi.de.
Rafael T
RT
Mikolajczyk
Department of Psychiatry, Marmara University School of Medicine, 34899 Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: yildiz.akvardar@marmara.edu.tr.
Yildiz
Y
Akvardar
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Avda de Baranain s/n, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. Electronic address: frguillen@unav.es.
Francisco
F
Guillen-Grima
Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacky University of Olomouc, 771 47 Olomouc, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ferdinand.salonna@upjs.sk.
Ferdinand
F
Salonna
Department of Educational Psychology and Health Psychology, PJ Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia. Electronic address: olga.orosova@upjs.sk.
Olga
O
Orosova
Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Vej 9, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark. Electronic address: sbdohrmann@sdu.dk.
Solveig
S
Dohrmann
Division of Psychology, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom; School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise, Staffordshire University, Science Center, Leek Road, Stoke-On-Trent ST4 2DF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Robert.dempsey@staffs.ac.uk.
Robert C
RC
Dempsey
Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Achterstr. 30, 28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: zeeb@bips.uni-bremen.de.
Hajo
H
Zeeb
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D066262:Social Norms; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
Attitudes; Peers; Perceptions; Social norms; Tobacco use