Factors associated with former and current e-cigarette use among lifetime cigarette-smoking college students.

Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of a study examining factors associated with former and current e-cigarette use among lifetime cigarette-smoking college students. The study aims to understand the characteristics of cigarette consumption, perceived relative harm of e-cigarettes, the greatest reason for e-cigarette use, and factors strongly associated with e-cigarette use among Korean college students.

Key Points:

* The study used a cross-sectional research design and collected data from a convenience sample of 533 Korean college students.
* The study found that former and current e-cigarette users were higher in percentages of lifetime and past 30-day smoking, cigarettes smoked, and number of cigarette-smoking days.
* Most e-cigarette users considered e-cigarettes to be less harmful than cigarettes and smoked them due to no smell, lower harm, and feasibility to use in non-smoking areas.
* Male sex, younger age, and a greater number of cigarette-smoking days were strongly associated with e-cigarette use among lifetime cigarette smokers.
* The study highlights the need for multi-faceted approaches to tackle e-cigarette use, including anti-smoking education targeting Korean college students and strict anti-smoking regulations on campus.

Main Message:
The study emphasizes the urgent need to enhance the understanding of e-cigarette use among young adults, particularly college students. The study's findings suggest that e-cigarette use is associated with diverse characteristics, including male sex, younger age, lower physical activity, greater sensation seeking, cigarette smoking, and drinking. The study highlights the importance of implementing anti-smoking education and regulations on campus to address the rising trend of e-cigarette use among college students.

Lee a, Park S, Kim J. Factors associated with former and current e-cigarette use among lifetime cigarette-smoking college students. International Journal of Mental health and addiction. Published online November 8, 2021. doi:10.1007/s11469-021-00691-z