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Past research has shown that adolescent peer groups make a significant contribution to shaping behavior but less is known about the role of peer groups in adolescent dating relationships. This longitudinal study examined the contribution of aggressive peer group norms on relationship quality and dating violence among dating adolescents. At the beginning of the school year (T1) and 6 months later (T2), participants (n = 1,070; M[subscript age] = 15.45; 49 % Female) provided self-reports of attitudes towards aggression, and physically- and relationally-aggressive behaviors. Peer groups were identified using a peer-nomination technique and aggressive behaviors and attitudes were averaged across peer groups. Participants with dating experience (n = 598) reported on the frequency of their experience with dating violence (both as a victim and perpetrator). Multilevel analyses indicated that peer group relational aggression at T1 positively predicted dating abuse victimization and perpetration, and negatively predicted relationship quality at T2, beyond individual predictions. An unexpected finding was that membership in physically aggressive peer groups at T1 was associated positively with relationship quality at T2. Results point to the importance of the peer group in shaping adolescent dating experiences.

INTRODUCTION In March 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized new pictorial health warnings (PHWs), covering 50% of the front and back of the pack; however, legal challenges from cigarette manufacturers have prevented the new warnings from being implemented. About 70% of adults in the general US population support PHWs. This study assessed support for PHWs in 2016, 2018 and 2020 among US adults (aged ≥18 years) who currently smoke or formerly smoked cigarettes. We also assessed factors related to support. METHODS Respondents included adults who currently or formerly smoked cigarettes and participated in at least one wave of the US ITC Smoking and Vaping Surveys: Wave 1 (2016, n=2557); Wave 2 (2018, n=2685); and Wave 3 (2020, n=1112). We assessed changes in support for PHWs between 2016 and 2020, and assessed factors related to support (support vs oppose/don't know). Analyses were conducted on weighted data. RESULTS Overall, 38.0% of respondents supported PHWs in 2016, with a significant increase to 44.7% in 2018 (p<0.001), and leveling off to 45.0% in 2020 (2018 vs 2020, p=0.91). Support was highest among former smokers and lowest among daily smokers in all three survey years. Support for PHWs at all survey years was significantly higher among those who formerly smoked, were younger (aged 18-39 vs ≥40 years), those who identified as Black (vs White), and planned to quit smoking (vs not planning to quit). There were no differences by income level, education level, or sex. CONCLUSIONS Nearly half of US adults who smoke cigarettes or quit smoking supported PHWs in 2020, with support being higher among younger adults, ethnic minorities, and those who formerly smoked. Support increased between 2016 and 2018, but not between 2018 and 2020. Similar to other studies, fewer current and former smokers supported PHWs compared to the US adult general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of aggressive and prosocial contexts of peer groups on children's socioemotional and school adjustment. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning, and different aspects of adjustment were collected from multiple sources in a sample of elementary school children (149 boys, 181 girls; M age = 10 years). Multilevel analyses indicated that group aggressive and prosocial orientations made direct contributions to children's social, school, and psychological functioning. Group contexts also moderated the individual-level relations between social behavior and self-perceptions; prosocial behavior was associated with social or scholastic self-perceptions more evidently in low prosocial and high aggressive groups. The results suggest that the peer group is an important context for children's performance and adjustment in various domains.

Introduction: Little is known about why males are more likely to use electronic cigarettes (ECs) compared with females. This study examined gender differences in reasons for vaping and characteristics of EC used (device type, device capacity, e-liquid nicotine strength, and flavor).Methods: Data were obtained from 3938 current (≥18 years) at-least-weekly EC users who participated in Wave 2 (2018) ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey in Canada, the United States, England, and Australia.Results: Of the sample, 54% were male. The most commonly cited reasons for vaping in females were "less harmful to others" (85.8%) and in males were "less harmful than cigarettes" (85.5%), with females being more likely to cite "less harmful to others" (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.64, p = .001) and "help cut down on cigarettes" (aOR = 1.60, p = .001) than males. Significant gender differences were found in EC device type used (χ  2 = 35.05, p = .043). Females were less likely to report using e-liquids containing >20 mg/mL of nicotine, and tank devices with >2 mL capacity (aOR = 0.41, p < .001 and aOR = 0.65, p = .026, respectively) than males. There was no significant gender difference in use of flavored e-liquids, with fruit being the most common flavor for both males (54.5%) and females (50.2%).Conclusion: There were some gender differences in reasons for vaping and characteristics of the product used. Monitoring of gender differences in patterns of EC use would be useful to inform outreach activities and interventions for EC use.Implications: Our findings provide some evidence of gender differences in reasons for vaping and characteristics of EC used. The most common reason for vaping reported by females was "less harmful to others," which may reflect greater concern by female vapers about the adverse effects of secondhand smoke compared with male vapers. Gender differences might be considered when designing gender-sensitive smoking cessation policies. Regarding characteristics of EC products used, we found gender differences in preferences for e-liquid nicotine strength and device capacity. Further studies should examine whether the observed gender differences in EC use reasons and product characteristics are predictive of smoking cessation. Furthermore, studies monitoring gender-based marketing of ECs may be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The 2016 European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) required Member States (MS) to implement new regulations for electronic cigarettes (ECs). We conducted a longitudinal study to assess changes over 2 years in smokers' support for EC policies and identify predictors of support in seven European countries after TPD implementation. Methods Prospective cohort surveys were conducted among adult smokers in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain and England in 2016 (n  = 9547; just after TPD) and 2018 (n  = 10 287; 2 years after TPD). Multivariable logistic regression models employing generalized estimating equations assessed changes in support for four EC policies, and tested for country differences and strength of key predictors of support. Results Banning EC use in smoke-free places was supported by 53.1% in 2016 and 54.6% in 2018 with a significant increase in Greece (51.7–66.0%) and a decrease in Spain (60.1–48.6%). Restricting EC/e-liquid nicotine content was supported by 52.2 and 47.4% in 2016 and 2018, respectively, with a significant decrease in England (54.2–46.5%) and Romania (52.5–41.0%). An EC promotion ban was supported by 41.1 and 40.2%. A flavour ban was supported by 33.3% and 32.3% with a significant increase in Hungary (34.3–43.3%). Support was generally higher in Poland, Hungary and Greece vs. England. Support was lower among dual and EC-only users, and low-income smokers. Conclusions Smokers in all countries strongly supported banning EC use in smoke-free places and restricting nicotine content after TPD implementation, with no clear trends for changes in policy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]