142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

304783
Patterns and correlates of electronic cigarette use among college students

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Sunday, November 16, 2014

Megan Saddleson, MA , Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Martin Mahoney, MD, PhD , Department of Medicine and Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
Gary A. Giovino, PhD, MS , Department of Community Health and Health Behavior; School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Maciej L. Goniewicz, PharmD, PhD , Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
Gregory G. Homish, PhD , Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Larry W. Hawk Jr., PhD , Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Jill M. Murphy, PhD , Health Department, SUNY-Cortland, Cortland, NY
Michael G. MacLean, PhD , Department of Psychology, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY
Brian H. Wrotniak, PT, PhD , Center for Health Behavior Research, D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY
Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have demonstrated a marked rise in popularity.  To date, there are a limited number of studies assessing e-cigarette use among college students, who may be more drawn to e-cigarettes due to their novelty and availability. Methods:  Data were collected from 1437 students from four upstate New York institutions using an internet survey assessing knowledge, awareness and patterns of use for e-cigarettes.  Results were summarized using descriptive statistics.   Logistic regression models were run to evaluate correlates of e-cigarette use.  Results: 95.6% of respondents reported awareness of e-cigarettes; 30.8% were ever users, and 15.0% were current users (used within past 30 days).  Among current users (n=215), 28.8% were unsure about the nicotine level in their e-cigarettes, 60.0% intended to use their e-cigarette for less than two months, while 22% planned to use for more than a year.  Most (79.0%) current users reported never using e-cigarettes and other tobacco in the same day.  Students ages 20-23 years, females, African Americans and respondents reporting better than average school ability demonstrated a lower odds of ever use or of current use.  Current (OR=22.22, 95% CI=12.70–38.84) and former (OR=7.87, 95% CI=5.65-10.93) cigarette smokers were more likely to have ever used an e-cigarette than never smokers; 7.0% of the sample were dual users (current smokers and e-cigarette users).  Conclusions: These findings show e-cigarette prevalence rates among college students in NY are higher than rates among the general U.S. adult population, suggesting this population may be more likely to initiate use of e-cigarettes.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe various patterns of electronic cigarette use among college students Assess correlates related to electronic cigarette use among college students

Keyword(s): Tobacco Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author on the content I am responsible for because I am a PhD student in the department of community health and health behavior, within the school of public health at SUNY Buffalo.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.