Timing of vape use among adolescents: Differences by family structure

The prevalence of adolescent e-cigarette (vape) use has increased significantly over the past several years. Given the risks associated with vape use, it is important to identify predictors of adolescent vape use onset.

The primary aim was to examine the time to vape use among adolescents, as a function of parental marital status and living arrangements.

A sample of 863 adolescents (M_age = 12.73, SD = 0.70; 52% girls; 61% non-Hispanic White) from public middle schools in the Northeast United States were asked about whether they vaped over the course of three years (fall 2016-spring 2019). Cox proportional hazards (PH) regression models were conducted to examine associations between parental divorce and the timing of vape use, gender differences in the association, and potential differences in the association as a function of living arrangements.

Findings indicated that adolescents with divorced parents at Time 1 vaped earlier, and were 51% more likely to vape than adolescents with married parents. There were no gender differences, or differences in timing among those with divorced parents as a function of living with a step-parent.

These findings highlight the importance of identifying familial risk factors associated with early vape use in adolescents.