• M L Saddleson, L T Kozlowski, G A Giovino, L W Hawk, J M Murphy, M G MacLean, M L Goniewicz, G G Homish, B H Wrotniak, and M C Mahoney.
• University at Buffalo, State University of New York, School of Public Health and Health Professions, Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: mls38@buffalo.edu.
• Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Apr 1; 149: 25-30.

BackgroundSince 2007, there has been a rise in the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The present study uses cross-sectional data (2013) to examine prevalence, correlates and susceptibility to e-cigarettes among young adults.MethodsData were collected using an Internet survey from a convenience sample of 1437, 18-23 year olds attending four colleges/universities in Upstate New York. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics; logistic regression models were analyzed to identify correlates of e-cigarette use and susceptibility to using e-cigarettes.ResultsNearly all respondents (95.5%) reported awareness of e-cigarettes; 29.9% were ever users and 14.9% were current users. Younger students, males, non-Hispanic Whites, respondents reporting average/below average school ability, ever smokers and experimenters of tobacco cigarettes, and those with lower perceptions of harm regarding e-cigarettes demonstrated higher odds of ever use or current use. Risky behaviors (i.e., tobacco, marijuana or alcohol use) were associated with using e-cigarettes. Among never e-cigarette users, individuals involved in risky behaviors or, with lower harm perceptions for e-cigarettes, were more susceptible to future e-cigarette use.ConclusionsMore e-cigarette users report use of another nicotine product besides e-cigarettes as the first nicotine product used; this should be considered when examining whether e-cigarette use is related to cigarette susceptibility. Involvement in risky behaviors is related to e-cigarette use and susceptibility to e-cigarette use. Among college students, e-cigarette use is more likely to occur in those who have also used other tobacco products, marijuana, and/or alcohol.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

25 keywords...

hide…