How social media and cultural background shape e-cigarette use in Mexican American college students
Official title: Social Media, Acculturation and E-cigarette Use among Mexican American College Students in South Texas
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11311919 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether exposure to e-cigarette content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube and a student's cultural background relate to vaping among Mexican American college students.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 25, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $651,913 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD017280-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311919 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Mexican American college students age 21 or older in South Texas who use social media are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not Mexican American college students (for example younger teens, older adults, or those living outside South Texas) are unlikely to be directly helped by this project.
What this research studies
If you take part, you'll be followed over time and asked about your social media use, exposure to e-cigarette posts, and vaping behaviors. The team will measure your acculturation—how connected you are to Mexican versus U.S. culture—to see if culture changes how social media affects vaping. Researchers will collect surveys and information about social media engagement and then compare exposures to later e-cigarette use. The goal is to identify who is most influenced so prevention messages can be better targeted.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could guide targeted prevention or education to reduce e-cigarette use among Mexican American college students.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows college students have high e-cigarette use, but linking social media exposure and acculturation in Mexican American students is limited, so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilkinson, Anna Victoria — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Wilkinson, Anna Victoria
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.