E-cigarette curiosity among U.S. middle and high school students: Findings from the 2014 national youth tobacco survey

Abstract

Curiosity is a potential risk factor for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, which has increased considerably among US youth in recent years. We examined the relationship between curiosity about e-cigarettes and perceived harm, comparative addictiveness, and e-cigarette advertisement exposure. Data came from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. middle and high school students. In 2014, 2.5% of middle school and 9.2% of high school students currently used cigarettes, while 3.9% of middle school and 13.4% of high school students reported current e-cigarette use. Among never e-cigarette users (n= 17,286), descriptive statistics assessed curiosity about e-cigarettes by combustible tobacco use, sex, race/ethnicity, and school level. Associations between curiosity and perceived harm (absolute and comparative to cigarettes), comparative addictiveness, and e-cigarette advertising exposure were explored using multivariate models in 2015. Among youth who never used e-cigarettes, 25.8% reported curiosity about e-cigarettes. Higher levels of perceived absolute harm and comparative harm were associated with lower levels of curiosity, while no association was observed between comparative addictiveness and curiosity. Among never combustible tobacco users, the odds of high curiosity were greater among non-Hispanic blacks (odds ratio (OR): 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.02–1.88), Hispanics (OR=1.79; 95%CI:1.48–2.16), and non-Hispanic ‘Other’ (OR=1.47; 95%CI:1.15–1.89) race/ethnicities than non-Hispanic whites. One-quarter of middle and high school students who have never used e-cigarettes are curious about the products, with greater curiosity among those with lower perceptions of harm from these products. These findings may help inform future strategies aimed at reducing curiosity about e-cigarettes among youth.

Measurement and predictive value of susceptibility to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah among Texas adolescents

“…While we expected Hispanic adolescents would have a higher prevalence of susceptibility to each product than non-Hispanic adolescents, this was observed only for e-cigarettes and cigarettes, with curiosity about these products endorsed more often among Hispanic adolescents. This is consistent with previous research ( Margolis et al, 2016 ), and notable, as curiosity predicts future experimentation with smoking independent of susceptibility ( Pierce et al, 2005 ), warranting further examination of factors leading Hispanic adolescents to be more curious about these products. Despite a higher reported prevalence of susceptibility to e-cigarettes and cigarettes among Hispanic adolescents, no significant interactions were observed between ethnicity and susceptibility in predicting future use.…”

“…Additionally, no studies have assessed whether the susceptibility construct ( Pierce et al, 2005 ) functions equally across ethnic groups. Hispanic adolescents who have never smoked report greater intentions to smoke cigarettes in the future compared to white peers ( Bunnell et al, 2015 ) and greater curiosity about e-cigarettes ( Margolis, Nguyen, Slavit, & King, 2016 ). In addition, Hispanic adolescents are more susceptible to cigarettes ( Fulmer et al, 2015 ; Gritz et al, 2003 ), e-cigarettes ( Singh et al, 2016 ; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016 ), and hookah ( Trinidad et al, 2017 ), compared to non-Hispanic white adolescents.…”

Examining the Association amongst Expected Costs and Benefits, Peer Use, and Self-Reported Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Adolescents

“…The findings from the current study on the association of expectations of costs and benefits with adolescent e-cigarette use are consistent with previous research pertaining to conventional cigarettes and other tobacco products (e.g.. Ashare et al, 2007;Krosnick et al, 2006;Peters, Meshack, Lin, Hill, & Abughosh, 2013). Existing studies suggest that adolescents perceive e-cigarettes as less addictive and lower in health risk relative to conventional cigarettes and that these perceptions are given as a reason to initiate e-cigarette use (Margolis et al, 2016;Pepper, Ribisl, Emery, & Brewer, 2014). In the same vein, Roditis and colleagues (2015) found that adolescents were able to accurately describe negative consequences of conventional cigarette use, but were not able to accurately describe consequences of e-cigarette or marijuana use.…”

“…These results are proportional to other studies on e-cigarette use in adolescent (e.g., Doran & Brikmanis, 2016). Further, a recent study found that 25% of U.S. high school students who had never used e-cigarettes reported curiosity about these products, and high levels of curiosity were associated with lower perceptions of harm (Margolis, Nguyen, Slavit, & King, 2016). Therefore, it is imperative to determine potential factors related to adolescent use of e-cigarettes to better inform public policy efforts to curtail ecigarette popularity among this population.…”

Factors associated with intentions to use e‐cigarettes among Australian young adult non‐smokers

“…Research examining the relationship between curiosity about e‐cigarette use and intentions to use e‐cigarettes among never users and never smokers is therefore warranted. Given previous research conducted with adolescents suggests that individual factors such as perceptions of e‐cigarette harm are associated with curiosity about e‐cigarette use, it is also important to assess curiosity as a mediator between individual and social variables and use intentions .…”