title: Preference for gain- or loss-framed electronic cigarette prevention messages.
abstract: Effective electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) prevention messages are needed to combat the rising popularity/uptake of e-cigarettes among youth. We examined preferences for e-cigarette prevention messages that either emphasized gains (e.g., You save money by not using e-cigarettes) or losses (e.g., You spend money by using e-cigarettes) among adolescents and young adults.
  
  
  
  Using surveys in two middle schools, four high schools, and one college in CT (N=5405), we assessed students' preferences for gain- or loss-framed e-cigarette prevention messages related to four themes: financial cost, health risks, addiction potential, and social labeling as a smoker. We also assessed whether preferences for each message framing theme differed by sex, school level, cigarette-use status, and e-cigarette use-status. We also examined whether preference for message framing differed by cigarette and e-cigarette susceptibility status among never e-cigarette users.
  
  
  
  Overall, loss-framing was preferred for message themes related to health risks, addiction potential, and social labeling as a smoker, whereas gain-framing was preferred for message themes related to financial cost. Logistic regression analyses showed that 1) females preferred loss-framed messages for all themes relative to males, 2) lifetime e-cigarette users preferred loss-framed health risks and social labeling messages relative to never users, and 3) high school students preferred gain-framed social labeling messages relative to college students. The preference for message framing did not differ by cigarette or e-cigarette susceptibility.
  
  
  
  Preference for message framing differed by themes and individual characteristics. This formative research could inform the construction of persuasive e-cigarette prevention messages.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, United States. Electronic address: Grace.Kong@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
authors.forename: Dana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
authors.forename: Deepa R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Camenga
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Oberlin College, Department of Psychology, Oberlin, OH 44074, United States.
authors.forename: Meghan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morean
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
authors.forename: Suchitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan-Sarin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising; D003237:Connecticut; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000074606:Smoking Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; Electronic cigarettes; Gender; Message framing; Prevention; Young adults