Minoritized Sexual Identity and Perceived Effectiveness of Instagram Public Health Messaging about E-cigarettes.

E-cigarette (EC) use in young adult sexual minoritized women (SMW) is disproportionately higher than among heterosexual women and sexual minoritized men. Public health messaging utilizing social branding, a method used to tailor health messages to one’s identity, may help combat this problem. We conducted an online study with SMW (N = 457) and asked them to complete scales assessing their sexual minoritized identity affirmation and centrality. Participants were randomized to view socially branded messages discouraging EC use across three themes (general wellness, pride, health harms). Results revealed that overall lesbian, bisexual, or queer (LBQ) identity (affirmation and centrality) was significantly positively associated with perceived message effectiveness (PME) (p < .001). Identity affirmation was significantly associated with PME when controlling for identity centrality (p = 0.004). Interaction between identity affirmation and theme was significant (p=0.02), as positive effects of identity affirmation on PME were greater when participants viewed pride-themed messages versus wellness (p = .03) or harms messages (p = .01). The findings suggest that socially-branded EC prevention messages emphasizing sexual minoritized identity may be more effective for SMW with a strong connection to their LBQ identity. Future research should examine how identity and socially branded messages can impact health behaviors.

年轻成年性少数女性（SMW）使用电子烟的比例明显高于异性恋女性和性少数男性。利用社会品牌塑造的公共卫生宣传信息（一种根据个人身份定制健康信息的方法）可能有助于解决这一问题。我们对性少数女性（N = 457）进行了一项在线研究，并要求她们完成评估其性少数身份确认和核心性的量表。参与者被随机分配观看针对三个主题（一般健康、自豪感、健康危害）的反对使用电子烟的社会品牌化信息。结果显示，总体女同性恋、双性恋或酷儿（LBQ）身份（确认和核心性）与感知信息有效性（PME）呈显著正相关（p <.001）。在控制身份核心性的情况下，身份确认与PME显著相关（p = 0.004）。身份确认与主题之间的交互作用显著（p = 0.02），因为当参与者观看以自豪感为主题的信息时，身份确认对PME的积极影响大于观看健康主题（p =.03）或危害主题（p =.01）的信息。研究结果表明，强调性少数身份的社会品牌化电子烟预防信息对于与自身LBQ身份联系紧密的性少数女性可能更有效。未来的研究应探讨身份和社会品牌化信息如何影响健康行为。