Social Media Influence on Tobacco Policy Support: The Role of Cancer Worry and Smoking Status in a Moderated Mediation Framework.

This study examined whether social media use for health purposes is associated with support for tobacco control policies among individuals with a family history of cancer. We employed a moderated mediation framework and analyzed the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4; N = 2,671) data, a nationally representative sample collected from the United States. We found that cancer worry mediated 4.6% of the total effect, with smoking status positively moderating this pathway. While nonsmokers showed higher baseline support, smokers exhibited steeper increases in policy backing as cancer worry intensified. Results aligned with the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, suggesting targeted social media messaging could enhance tobacco policy advocacy, particularly for smokers with familial cancer risks. The study offers theoretical contributions to public health and health communication, as well as practical implications for policymakers and the general public.