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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Margaret Cox¹, Elizabeth Larkin¹, and Scott Frank². (1) Department of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4945, 216-368-9096, simplymags@gmail.com, (2) Department of Epidemiology and Biostatisitcs, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4945

Objective: To examine health risk behavior differences among adolescents who: do not smoke tobacco; smoke only cigarettes; smoke only cigars; and smoke both cigarettes and cigars, emphasizing on the latter two groups as special risk categories. Methods: The Youth Risk Behavior Survey was administered to 4895 students in a Midwestern county during 2003 and 2004. Items assessing current cigarette use and current cigar use were utilized to categorize students. Chi-square analysis explored variation between groups. Logistic regression investigated the relationship between use of various tobacco products and other health risk behaviors, while controlling for potentially confounding demographic variables. Results: Current cigar use (20.8%) was higher than current cigarette use (18.5%) in this adolescent survey population. Among participants, 72.1% did not smoke; 7.1% smoked cigarettes only; 9.4% smoked cigars only; and 11.4% smoked both cigarettes and cigars. Cigar only and cigarette only use conferred equivalent increased health risk behaviors. Adolescents engaging in both cigarette and cigar use reported increased health risk behaviors such as drinking and driving (OR=8.79), physical fighting (OR=6.32), alcohol use (OR=15.24), binge drinking (OR=15.48), marijuana use (OR=26.67), and hard drug use (OR=15.86). Conclusions: Cigar use is an underemphasized contributor to adolescent health risk, often viewed as innocent when compared to cigarette smoking. While cigar only and cigarette only users presented similar increased risk, those smoking both cigarettes and cigars were the largest group of adolescent tobacco users and those engaging in the most health risks. These findings may indicate necessary adjustments to current tobacco prevention and intervention campaigns.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate how adolescents using cigarettes only and adolescents using cigars only present similar increased risk.
• Discuss health risk behavior differences between adolescents using both cigarettes and cigars engaging in health risk behaviors as compared to cigarette only and cigar only users.
• Evaluate the potential need for modifications to current tobacco prevention and intervention programming.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Risky Behaviors

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered