Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) use Among Members of a Community Engagement Program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are novel products with evolving usage patterns.
• Community engagement programs offer a unique avenue to gather real-world data on ENDS use.
• Understanding ENDS usage is crucial for public health initiatives and targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) usage patterns within a community engagement program.
• To identify demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related predictors of ENDS use.
• To inform public health strategies for addressing ENDS consumption.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey data collected by Community Health Workers from 7253 Florida community members (2014-2021).
• Data included ENDS use, tobacco use, demographics, food security, and health history/concerns.
• Statistical analysis using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) to determine associations.

Main Results:

• The proportion of individuals who ever used ENDS increased from 12% to 27% between 2014 and 2021.
• Ever tobacco use was strongly associated with ENDS use (69% of ENDS users were current tobacco users).
• Key predictors included young age (18-25), being White, male, recent food insecurity, and respiratory issues. Hypertension concern was associated with lower ENDS use.

Conclusions:

• ENDS use has notably increased in this community sample, particularly among young adults and tobacco users.
• Socioeconomic factors like food insecurity and demographic characteristics significantly influence ENDS adoption.
• Community-based outreach is essential for further research and the development of effective public health interventions regarding ENDS.