Journal Article

The Road to Vaping: E-cigarette Susceptibility and Curiosity Among U.S. Adolescents Susceptible and Nonsusceptible to Cigarette Smoking

Trucco, Elisa M., McKelvey, Karma, Ibrahimou, Boubakari, Ebrahimi Kalan, Mohammad, Ben Taleb, Ziyad

2020

Overview

Background. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents. We aimed to identify factors associated with e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity among adolescents who are and are not susceptible to cigarette smoking. Method. Data were drawn from the 2018 U.S. National Youth Tobacco Survey. The study sample comprised 13,428 never cigarette or e-cigarette users. Four distinct weighted multivariable regression models were performed to assess associations between covariates and e-cigarette curiosity and susceptibility. Results. Among adolescents susceptible to smoking cigarettes, non-Hispanic (NH) Black participants were less likely to be susceptible to (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.26, 0.67]) and curious about (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI [0.39, 0.95]) e-cigarettes than NH Whites. Among adolescents nonsusceptible to smoking cigarettes, Hispanics were more susceptible to (aOR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.04, 1.71]) and curious about (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.02, 1.62]) e-cigarettes than NH Whites. Among adolescents (both susceptible and nonsusceptible to smoking cigarettes), being female, exposure to e-cigarette aerosol in public places, exposure to e-cigarette ads at point-of-sale, and having low perceived harm and addictiveness of e-cigarettes versus cigarettes were associated with having greater odds of susceptibility toward and curiosity about e-cigarette use. Conclusions. Future regulatory policies and tobacco control prevention campaigns should focus on increasing health awareness (e.g., potential harm and addictiveness) of e-cigarettes among adolescents and restrict marketing and the use of e-cigarettes in public places.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subject: Addictive Behavior / Adolescent / Adolescents / Campaigns / Cigarette Smoking / Cigarettes / Confidence intervals / Cross-Sectional Studies / Curiosity / Electronic cigarettes / Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Exploratory Behavior / Female / Gender Differences / High School Students / Humans / Latin American cultural groups / Marketing / Middle School Students / Personality Traits / Public spaces / Racial Differences / Regression analysis / Regression models / Smoking / Statistical analysis / Susceptibility / Teenagers / Tobacco / Tobacco Products / Vaping / White people