Summary
Introduction:
This text discusses a study examining the prospective longitudinal relation between elevated use of electronic devices (EUED) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use initiation in a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth. The study aimed to investigate whether EUED at baseline predicted ENDS use initiation in later years, while controlling for exposure to ENDS advertisements and other well-established covariates of ENDS use.
Key Points:
* The study utilized data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, Waves 1-3.
* EUED was measured using two questions about time spent watching TV and visiting social networking service (SNS) accounts.
* ENDS use initiation was defined as self-reported ever use of electronic nicotine products in the past 12 months.
* The study controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, mental health problems, and substance use experience.
* Among youth who were nicotine naive at baseline, those with EUED were more likely to initiate ENDS use in later years than those without EUED.
* Daily and weekly SNS users were more likely to initiate ENDS use than non-users of SNS.
* Exposure to ENDS advertisements and having tobacco-using friends were also associated with ENDS use initiation.
* EUED was not associated with uptake of cigarette smoking.
Main Message:
The main message of this study is that there is a prospective longitudinal relation between EUED and ENDS use initiation in U.S. youth. This finding highlights the need to develop interventions targeting innovators and early adopters of ENDS use to prevent long-term addiction and to curb the spread of ENDS use and experimentation to early majority, late majority, and laggards. The study also emphasizes the importance of considering the attributes of innovations, such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, triability, and observability, when developing ENDS use preventive interventions.
Citation
Lee, Mi-Sun, Joseph G. Allen, and David C. Christiani. “Endotoxin and (1→3)-β-D-Glucan Contamination in Electronic Cigarette Products Sold in the United States.” Environmental Health Perspectives 127, no. 4 (April 2019): 047008. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3469.
