Adult Familial Influences on Rural Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youths' E-Cigarette Use

Background: Over the past decade, youth e-cigarette use has grown into a national epidemic, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youths' rates among some of the highest in the nation. Family factors significantly contribute to NHPI youths' decisions to engage in or resist substance use, yet few studies have specifically examined familial influences on NHPI youths' substance use decision-making and behaviors. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine adult familial influences on rural NHPI youths' decisions to engage in e-cigarette use. Method: Seventeen gender-specific focus groups with NHPI youths (N = 69) from eight public schools on Hawai'i Island were conducted. Results: Two family-related themes emerged from the data: 1) parental substance use permissiveness, and 2) family normalization of e-cigarette use. Conclusions: Examining adult familial contributors to NHPI youths' e-cigarette use needs to be part of a comprehensive effort to address NHPI health and substance use disparities. Prevention interventions should be explicit in addressing the family and relational context of NHPI youths' substance use.