The impact of trying electronic cigarettes on cigarette smoking by college students: A prospective analysis

E.L. Sutfin, B.A. Reboussin, B. Debinski, K.G. Wagoner, J. Spangler and M. Wolfson

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 8, e83-e89

Abstract: Objectives. We assessed the impact of trying electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on future cigarette smoking in a sample of smokers enrolled in college. Methods. In this longitudinal study, first-semester college students at 7 colleges in North Carolina and 4 in Virginia completed a baseline survey and 5 follow-up surveys between fall 2010 and fall 2013. Current cigarette smoking at wave 6 was the primary outcome. Participants (n = 271) reported current cigarette smoking at baseline and no history of e-cigarette use. We measured trying e-cigarettes at each wave, defined as use in the past 6 months. Results. By wave 5, 43.5% had tried e-cigarettes. Even after controlling for other variables associated with cigarette smoking, trying e-cigarettes was a significant predictor of cigarette smoking at wave 6 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32, 4.66), as were friends' cigarette smoking (AOR = 4.20; 95% CI = 2.22, 7.96) and lifetime use of other tobacco products (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.17). Conclusions. Trying e-cigarettes during college did not deter cigarette smoking and may have contributed to continued smoking. © 2015, American Public Health Association Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: electronic cigarette; epidemiology; human; male; North Carolina; psychology; questionnaire; smoking; statistics and numerical data; student; university; utilization; Virginia, Electronic Cigarettes; Humans; Male; North Carolina; Smoking; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Virginia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302707_2

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302707

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