VAPING: PREDICTORS OF ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED E-CIGARETTES USE BEHAVIOR AMONG U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS
Abstract
Vaping – the use of electronic cigarettes - is an emerging health problem among college students. Between 2017 to 2018, past 30-day vaping of nicotine or marijuana increased from 6.1% to 15.5%, and from 5.2% to 10.9%, respectively. This research assessed demographic and behavioral correlates associated with actual and perceived use of e-cigarettes among college students participating in the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Respondents (n = 19,861) comprised undergraduate and graduate college students across more than 40 distinct public and private institutions of higher education. Past month frequency of use was established for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and e-cigarettes (ATME). Additionally, the perceived use of ATME by the ‘typical student’ at each institution was assessed. Current users (vaped within past 30 days) were compared to non-users (never used, and previously vaped but not in the past 30 days). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess (1) whether alcohol, tobacco or marijuana use were associated with the use of e-cigarettes; and (2) whether perceived use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana by typical students were associated with perceived use of e-cigarettes, above and beyond the influence of several covariates (e.g., age, gender, race, year in school, current residence, Greek membership).
Approximately 5% of survey respondents self-reported that they were current e-cigarette users. More than 7 out of every 10 respondents, however, thought the ‘typical student’ on their campus was an e-cigarette user. Male students (OR=2.28, p<0.01) were at higher odds of vaping compared to females. Exposure-response relationships among cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana users were present, such that the likelihood of current vaping increased significantly as use of these substances increased. Similarly, as perceptions of typical student substance use increased, respondents were far more likely to contend the typical student used e-cigarettes.
Results highlight the need for development and implementation of effective policies to manage vaping and substance use among students, and to mitigate peer pressure and social influences for the use of e-cigarettes on college campuses should be a priority for university management. Given students perceived that the typical student vaped, it would be important for future work to assess the relationship between self-vaping behaviors and perceptions of vaping behavior among peers. We recommend university administrations seek to adopt effective and system-wide smoke-free and tobacco-free campus policies.
Citation
Nabil, Anas Khurshid (2020). VAPING: PREDICTORS OF ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED E-CIGARETTES USE BEHAVIOR AMONG U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /192491.