Risk Factors for Youth E-Cigarette "Vape Trick" Behavior

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Adolescent use of electronic vaping products (EVPs) is prevalent.
• Performing "vape tricks" (exhaling aerosol into shapes) is a reported behavior among adolescent EVP users.
• Limited research exists on the prevalence and characteristics of vape trick performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the frequency of performing and watching vape tricks among adolescent EVP users.
• To identify characteristics associated with performing vape tricks.
• To understand the role of social media and perceived norms in vape trick behavior.

Main Methods:

• A national convenience sample of 1,729 U.S. adolescents (aged 15-17) who used EVPs in the past 30 days participated.
• Data were collected through an online survey administered in September 2016.
• Social media advertisements were used for recruitment.

Main Results:

• The majority of adolescent EVP users reported trying (77.8%) and watching vape tricks (in person 83.7%, online 74.0%).
• Risk factors for performing tricks included using advanced vaping devices, daily vaping, white race, moderate social media engagement with vaping content, and perceiving EVP use as normative.
• Beliefs about the harmfulness of EVPs were inversely associated with performing vape tricks.

Conclusions:

• Vape tricks may encourage initiation or increased use of EVPs, particularly advanced devices with potentially higher risks.
• Understanding the appeal of vape tricks is crucial for public health campaigns.
• Further research is needed on the health effects associated with performing vape tricks.