Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining patterns and predictors of e-cigarette and cigarette use in UK adolescents. The study followed a group of 13-14 year olds for 24 months to assess their use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes, and to identify factors that predict different patterns of use. The study's goal was to provide insights that could inform interventions to reduce smoking initiation in adolescents.
Key Points:
* The study followed a cohort of 3210 adolescents in England who were 13-14 years old and had never used e-cigarettes or cigarettes at baseline.
* The study created six groups based on ever use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes at follow-up: never users, e-cigarette only users, cigarette only users, dual users with unclear order of first use, dual users who used e-cigarettes first, and dual users who used cigarettes first.
* The study found that regular use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes varied across the groups, with regular smoking more prevalent in dual users who used cigarettes first, and regular e-cigarette use more prevalent in e-cigarette only users.
* Higher impulsivity and friends and family smoking were predictive of being in groups that used cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes, compared to the never user group.
* Males were more likely to be in the e-cigarette only group, while females were more likely to be in each of the four cigarette smoking groups.
* The study did not find strong differences between user groups in terms of the longitudinal predictors of being in each user group compared to the never user group.
* The most novel aspect of the study was the examination of differences between dual user -cigarettes used first and dual user -e-cigarettes used first groups.
* The predictors of these different patterns of dual smoking were very similar across the set of variables examined.
Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into the patterns and predictors of e-cigarette and cigarette use in UK adolescents. The findings suggest that interventions targeted at tackling impulsivity or adolescents whose friends and family members smoke may represent fruitful avenues for future research. The study also highlights the need to focus on preventing the initiation of cigarette use in adolescents, as this may lead to increased regular cigarette use, regardless of subsequent e-cigarette use. Overall, the study provides a foundation for further research to inform interventions that can reduce smoking initiation in adolescents.
Citation
Conner M, Grogan S, Simms-Ellis R, et al. Patterns and predictors of e-cigarette, cigarette and dual use uptake in UK adolescents: evidence from a 24-month prospective study. Addiction (Abingdon, England). 2019;114(11):2048-2055. doi:10.1111/add.14723
