School-type differences in e-cigarette use and its correlates among Chinese adolescents

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Adolescent e-cigarette use is a growing concern in China.
• Previous studies primarily focused on middle school students.
• Significant differences exist between vocational and traditional educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare e-cigarette use prevalence and associated factors among adolescents in Shanghai's vocational and traditional schools.
• To identify school-type specific correlates of adolescent e-cigarette use.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale survey of 10,699 adolescents (aged 13-17) was conducted in Shanghai in 2017.
• Multistage and stratified cluster random sampling ensured representative data collection.
• Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze prevalence and correlates, stratified by school type.

Main Results:

• The overall prevalence of ever e-cigarette use was 5.21%.
• E-cigarette use was significantly more prevalent in vocational schools compared to traditional schools.
• While prevalence differed, correlates such as peer smoking and prior tobacco use were significant in both school types, with some variations in other factors like advertisement awareness.

Conclusions:

• Tailored interventions addressing school-specific characteristics are crucial for controlling adolescent e-cigarette use in China.
• Collaborative efforts involving national, school, and family levels are recommended.
• Understanding school-type differences is essential for effective public health strategies.