Changes in Electronic Cigarette Use from 2013 to 2015 and Reasons for Use among Finnish Adolescents

Jaana M. Kinnunen, Hanna Ollila, Pirjo L. Lindfors and Arja H. Rimpelä
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Jaana M. Kinnunen: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Hanna Ollila: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
Pirjo L. Lindfors: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Arja H. Rimpelä: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: Electronic cigarettes are quite a new potential source of nicotine addiction among youth. More research is needed, particularly on e-liquid use and socioeconomic factors as potential determinants. We studied changes from 2013 to 2015 in adolescent e-cigarette awareness and ever-use, types of e-liquids, and determinants in Finland. In 2015, we studied weekly use and reasons for ever-use. Data were from two national surveys of 12–18-year-old Finns (2013, n = 3535, response rate 38%; 2015, n = 6698, 41%). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used. Awareness and ever-use of e-cigarettes increased significantly from 2013 to 2015 in all age and gender groups. Ever-use increased from 17.4% to 25%, with half having tried nicotine e-liquids. In 2015, weekly use was rare (1.5%). Daily cigarette smoking was the strongest determinant (OR 51.75; 95% CI 38.18–70.14) for e-cigarette ever-use, as for e-cigarette weekly use, but smoking experimentation and ever-use of snus (Swedish type moist snuff) and waterpipes alongside parental smoking and poor academic achievement also increased the odds for ever-use. The most common reason behind e-cigarette ever-use was the desire to try something new. To conclude, adolescent e-cigarette ever-use is increasing, and also among never-smokers. Tobacco-related factors are stronger determinants for e-cigarette use than socioeconomic factors.

Keywords: electronic cigarette; electronic nicotine delivery system; adolescents; tobacco use; Finland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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