Summary
Introduction:
This article reports on a longitudinal study examining the relationship between risk perceptions and e-cigarette initiation among college students. The study aims to determine if perceptions of harmfulness of e-cigarettes to health and addictiveness of e-cigarettes predict future e-cigarette use up to two years later, and if these relationships vary by current conventional cigarette smoking status.
Key Points:
* The study surveyed 2565 college students aged 18-25 who had never used e-cigarettes at baseline, with a retention rate of 88.0% at wave 5.
* The dependent variable was ever e-cigarette use, and both time-varying and time-invariant covariates were included in the analysis.
* The study found that perceptions of a lower degree of harmfulness and addictiveness of e-cigarettes predicted initiation among non-smokers, but not among current smokers.
* Additionally, the study found that lower perceived harm and addictiveness of e-cigarettes were associated with greater odds of initiation among non-smokers, but not among current smokers.
Main Message:
The main message of this study is that perceiving a lower degree of risk of e-cigarettes contributes to subsequent e-cigarette initiation among non-smoking college students. These findings have implications for prevention campaigns focusing on the potential harm of e-cigarettes for non-smoking college students. It is important for public health officials and regulators to understand the role of risk perceptions in e-cigarette initiation, particularly among non-smokers, in order to develop effective prevention strategies.
Citation
Cooper, Maria, Alexandra Loukas, Kathleen R. Case, C. Nathan Marti, and Cheryl L. Perry. “A Longitudinal Study of Risk Perceptions and E-Cigarette Initiation among College Students: Interactions with Smoking Status.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 186 (May 2018): 257–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.11.027.
