Sociodemographic differences in reasons for ENDS use among US youth within Wave 2 of the PATH study

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the sociodemographic differences in reasons for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among US youth. The study uses data from Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study and analyzes the motivations for ENDS use among different sociodemographic groups.

Key Points:

* The study found that appealing flavors was the most commonly reported motivation for using ENDS, but was mentioned more often among females.
* Perceptions of reduced harm to self and to others were the next most commonly reported reasons for ENDS use across all youth.
* Logistic regression analyses revealed that similarity or exchangeability with cigarettes is an important reason for ENDS use among combustible tobacco users.
* More intense ENDS use was associated with reasons involving other people, indicating that social benefit may encourage more intense use.
* The study suggests that limiting appealing flavors may be an important approach to reduce use among youth, particularly female youth.
* Measures to increase the price of ENDS may have more of an effect on those of other non-Hispanic ethnicities compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
* Education campaigns should communicate the potential harms of ENDS to the high number of youth who report using ENDS because they believe they are less harmful to them than cigarettes.
* Campaigns or interventions that leverage the role of important people in youths’ lives may be a useful strategy.

Main Message:
The study underscores the need for tobacco control policies and interventions that effectively reduce ENDS use among vulnerable subpopulations of adolescents. Understanding the motivations for use among sociodemographic subgroups is an initial step towards informing the development of policies and interventions with equally distributed benefits. The study highlights the importance of flavor limitation, price-increasing measures, and education campaigns in reducing ENDS use among US youth.

Xiao, Connie, Kathryn Heley, Ryan Kennedy, Lisa Lagasse, and Meghan Moran. “Sociodemographic Differences in Reasons for ENDS Useamong US Youth within Wave 2 of the PATH Study.” Tobacco Induced Diseases 17, no. January (January 21, 2019). https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/99879.