BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate a scale based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to assess cognitive factors related to e-cigarette use among Chinese college students, and to predict e-cigarette use intention and behavior for prevention purposes.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 303 students aged 18-24 years from universities in China. A 21-item PMT scale was adapted from a previous study on Chinese youth tobacco use. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α. Predictive validity was examined by correlating PMT constructs with e-cigarette use susceptibility.
RESULTS: After removing one item, the final 20-item scale demonstrated good model fit in the CFA (GFI=0.917, CFI=0.933, RMSEA=0.055). Internal reliability was acceptable to good (Cronbach's α=0.52-0.83). The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.831. All PMT constructs were significantly correlated with e-cigarette use susceptibility in the expected directions (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The PMT-based scale is a valid and reliable measure to investigate e-cigarette use related cognitions, and predict intentions to use among Chinese college students, and can be used as a tool to guide prevention efforts. The study supports the utility of applying PMT to e-cigarette research in different socio-cultural contexts.