Measuring characteristics of e-cigarette consumption among college students

Introduction:
This text is a journal article from the Journal of American College Health published in 2019. The article, titled "Measuring characteristics of e-cigarette consumption among college students," discusses the challenges in measuring e-cigarette consumption and proposes a comprehensive measure for this population. The study used a mixed-method design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 43 experienced e-cigarette users from two college campuses.

Key Points:

* E-cigarette use among college students has increased drastically in recent years.
* Traditional quantity/frequency measures may not fully delineate the consumption of e-cigarettes due to product variability.
* Multiple quantity measures have been proposed, such as the number of puffs, episodes, cartridges, and milliliters of e-liquid, but information about the reliability and validity of these measures is limited.
* College student users found some of the consumption questions in national surveys difficult to answer.
* Switching nicotine levels, mixing flavors, co-using with alcohol and marijuana, using with others who were vaping or drinking, and vaping in a car or indoor space were all common.
* Participants defined "regular user" based on ownership of a device rather than on quantity/frequency.
* A comprehensive e-cigarette consumption measure should cover the complex characteristics that are potentially associated with negative health consequences such as flavorings, co-use and social contexts.

Main Message:
The main message of this text is that measuring e-cigarette consumption among college students is challenging due to the many variations and the speed with which these products evolve. The authors suggest that a comprehensive measure of e-cigarette consumption should cover the complex characteristics that are potentially associated with negative health consequences such as flavorings, co-use and social contexts. This study highlights the need for more research to develop valid and reliable measures of e-cigarette consumption, especially in vulnerable populations like college students.

Wong, Su-Wei, Hsien-Chang Lin, Megan E. Piper, Adam Siddiqui, and Anne Buu. “Measuring Characteristics of E-Cigarette Consumption among College Students.” Journal of American College Health 67, no. 4 (May 19, 2019): 338–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1481075.