Socioeconomic Differences in Lifetime and Past 30-Day E-Cigarette, Cigarette, and Dual Use: A State-Level Analysis of Utah Youth.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the relationship between neighborhood-level and individual-level socioeconomic factors and e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use among Utah youth. The study used data from the 2019 Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) survey and employed logistic regression models to estimate the associations. The key points and main message of the study are summarized below.

Key Points:

* The study found that after controlling for individual-level sociodemographic factors, youth living in higher-poverty neighborhoods were at a significantly increased risk of lifetime e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, and dual use.
* Youth living in households with higher levels of education were at a significantly lower risk of lifetime and past 30-day e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use.
* Most youth using combustible cigarettes also used e-cigarettes, suggesting that any potential harms from e-cigarettes may exacerbate existing socioeconomic disparities in health effects from combustible cigarette use.
* The study used a large, state-representative sample of youth in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 from Utah, with a total of 78,740 participants.
* The study controlled for individual-level sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household education.
* The study used a principal components analysis (PCA) to extract a measure of neighborhood poverty from 278 available ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) across Utah.
* The study used logistic regression models to estimate the associations between neighborhood-level and individual-level socioeconomic factors and e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use.

Main Message:
The main message of the study is that e-cigarettes may follow a similar pattern of socioeconomic disparities among youth as combustible cigarettes. The study found that youth living in higher-poverty neighborhoods were at a significantly increased risk of lifetime e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, and dual use, while youth living in households with higher levels of education were at a significantly lower risk. These findings suggest that efforts to prevent and reduce e-cigarette and combustible cigarette use among youth should consider the socioeconomic factors that may influence these behaviors. Additionally, the study highlights the potential for e-cigarettes to exacerbate existing socioeconomic disparities in health effects from combustible cigarette use, as most youth using combustible cigarettes also used e-cigarettes. Overall, the study provides important insights into the relationship between socioeconomic factors and e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use among youth, and highlights the need for further research in this area.

Cambron C, Thackeray KJ. Socioeconomic Differences in Lifetime and Past 30-Day E-Cigarette, Cigarette, and Dual Use: A State-Level Analysis of Utah Youth. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2022;19(13). doi:10.3390/ijerph19137557