Bidirectional associations of e-cigarette, conventional cigarette and waterpipe experimentation among adolescents: A cross-lagged model

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study examining the bidirectional associations of e-cigarette, conventional cigarette, and waterpipe experimentation among adolescents. A cross-lagged model was used to estimate the initiation of these products over a six-month period, controlling for age, gender, and participation in an intervention program to reduce conventional cigarette initiation. The study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between the use of these tobacco products among adolescents.

Key Points:

* The study was conducted in a school-based cohort of 1369 9th graders in Romania.
* Tobacco product lifetime use was prevalent at baseline, with 48.4% having tried conventional cigarettes, 35.8% having tried e-cigarettes, and 20.8% having tried waterpipe.
* The cross-lagged analysis found that trying conventional cigarettes predicted trying e-cigarettes and waterpipe, and trying e-cigarettes predicted trying conventional cigarettes and waterpipe.
* However, trying waterpipe did not predict trying conventional cigarettes.
* The smoking prevention intervention had no significant effect on e-cigarette or waterpipe experimentation.
* Gender was associated with e-cigarette experimentation only at baseline, while age was not associated with trying any of the three products.
* Differential attrition analysis found that dropouts were more likely to have low grades, more friends who smoke, be ever smokers, and be current smokers.

Main Message:
The study highlights the complex relationship between e-cigarette, conventional cigarette, and waterpipe experimentation among adolescents. The bidirectional associations between these products suggest that trying one product increases the likelihood of trying the others. The findings also indicate that existing smoking prevention interventions are not effective in preventing e-cigarette or waterpipe experimentation, underscoring the need for tailored programs to prevent the use of these tobacco products among adolescents. The main message is that comprehensive tobacco control and prevention programs are needed to address the increasingly diverse tobacco product market targeting adolescents.

Pénzes, Melinda, Kristie L. Foley, Valentin Nădășan, Edit Paulik, Zoltán Ábrám, and Róbert Urbán. “Bidirectional Associations of E-Cigarette, Conventional Cigarette and Waterpipe Experimentation among Adolescents: A Cross-Lagged Model.” Addictive Behaviors 80 (May 2018): 59–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.01.010.