Appalachian youth e-cigarette harm perceptions and tobacco use

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• E-cigarettes are the leading tobacco product among youth.
• Harm perceptions are linked to youth e-cigarette use, but research in vulnerable populations like Appalachian youth is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between perceptions of e-cigarette harm and tobacco use among Appalachian youth.

Main Methods:

• Data from 1074 participants in the 2014-2016 Youth Appalachian Tobacco Study were analyzed.
• Six e-cigarette harm perceptions were examined across tobacco use groups (never, ever non-e-cigarette, ever e-cigarette).
• Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was employed to assess associations.

Main Results:

• 23.4% of the sample were ever e-cigarette users; these users were more likely to be male and in high school.
• E-cigarette users reported lower agreement that e-cigarettes cause health, breathing, or oral health problems, and are addictive, compared to never users.
• E-cigarette users showed significantly higher odds of disagreeing that e-cigarettes cause health problems (OR=6.12) and are addictive (OR=2.09) compared to never users.

Conclusions:

• Appalachian youth who have used e-cigarettes perceive them as less harmful and less addictive than never users.
• There is a critical need to better inform youth, especially current tobacco users, about the health risks associated with e-cigarette use.