Direct and Indirect Exposure to Violence as Predictors of Vaping: Examining Social and Cognitive Mediators

Exposure to violence has been identified as a risk factor for vaping. However, there is a dearth of research which has delineated direct and indirect exposures to violence as predictors. Similarly, there is limited work which has examined mediators of these potential relationships. The present study sought to address these gaps in the literature by examining deviant peer association and impulse control as mediators of the relationships between the various forms of exposure to violence and vaping. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study data were analyzed. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect relationships of interest. Findings indicated that only indirect exposure to violence significantly predicted increased risk for vaping. Deviant peer association significantly mediated this relationship, but impulse control did not. Implications are discussed.