Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: May 4, 2026
Date Accepted: Sep 17, 2026
Weekend Texting Screen Time and Incident Nicotine Use in Early Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis of the ABCD Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Adolescent nicotine initiation remains a significant public health concern. While screen-based behaviors have been linked to substance use, few prospective studies have examined specific forms of interactive screen engagement or tested potential psychological mechanisms underlying this association.
Objective:
To examine whether weekend texting screen time prospectively predicts nicotine initiation among adolescents and to evaluate whether negative urgency mediates this association.
Methods:
We analyzed longitudinal data from a large cohort of adolescents who were nicotine-naïve at baseline. Weekend texting screen time (hours) was assessed via self-report. Negative urgency, reflecting impulsive action during negative affect, was measured using the UPPS impulsivity scale. Incident nicotine initiation was modeled using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for sex, age, race, ethnicity, and household income. Mediation was examined using bootstrap-based estimation of indirect effects, with attenuation of the texting–initiation association evaluated as a secondary indicator.
Results:
Among 5,965 nicotine-naïve adolescents followed prospectively, 239 initiated nicotine use. Greater weekend texting was associated with increased hazard of nicotine initiation (per hour: HR=1.07, 95% CI 1.04–1.11). A 5-hour increase corresponded to an approximately 30–40% higher hazard of initiation. Weekend texting was positively associated with negative urgency (β=0.079, p<0.001), and negative urgency independently predicted nicotine initiation (per point: HR=1.19, 95% CI 1.13–1.25). Inclusion of negative urgency slightly attenuated the texting association (per hour: HR=1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.09), although attenuation was modest. In standardized models, a one standard deviation increase in weekend texting was associated with a 21% higher hazard of initiation (HR=1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.31), with a modest but statistically significant indirect effect via negative urgency (HR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06). Bootstrap analyses indicated that approximately 20% of the total association was mediated.
Conclusions:
Greater weekend texting screen time prospectively predicted nicotine initiation among adolescents. Negative urgency accounted for a modest portion of this association, suggesting that affect-driven impulsivity represents one pathway linking interactive digital engagement to early nicotine risk. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.
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