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E-cigarette use is associated with other tobacco use among US adolescents

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

To examine whether tobacco initiation via e-cigarettes increases the likelihood of subsequent tobacco use among a large representative sample of US adolescents.

Methods

This study is a retrospective longitudinal analysis from a representative sample of US middle and high school students (n = 39,718) who completed the 2014 and 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey. The adjusted odds ratios of lifetime and current use of tobacco use were estimated by logistic regression analysis while controlling for important socio-ecological factors associated with tobacco use.

Results

E-cigarette initiators were more likely to report current use of cigarettes (AOR 2.7; 1.9–4.0, p < 0.001), cigars (AOR 1.7; 1.2–2.4, p < 0.01), or smokeless tobacco (AOR 3.1; 2.2–5.4, p < 0.001), and lifetime use of the same products as well. Also, lifetime and current use of e-cigarettes significantly increased the likelihood of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco use.

Conclusions

Initiation of tobacco via e-cigarette, lifetime, and current use of e-cigarettes are associated with higher odds of lifetime and current use of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Collectively this suggests e-cigarettes may lead to an increased use of tobacco among adolescents.

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Funding

MAC was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Grant number K01 AA025992.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Human Performance, and Leisure (HHPL), College of Arts and Science (COAS), Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA

    Rehab Auf

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Rehab Auf, Mary Jo Trepka, Ziyad Ben Taleb & Miguel Ángel Cano

  3. Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA), Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Mary Jo Trepka, Mario De La Rosa & Miguel Ángel Cano

  4. Jackson South Community Hospital, Miami, FL, 33176, USA

    Mazen Selim

  5. School of Social Work, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Mario De La Rosa

  6. Department of Health Promotion, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Elena Bastida

Authors
  1. Rehab Auf
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  2. Mary Jo Trepka
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  3. Mazen Selim
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  4. Ziyad Ben Taleb
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  5. Mario De La Rosa
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  6. Elena Bastida
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  7. Miguel Ángel Cano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rehab Auf.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by Florida International University Institutional Review Board (see methods sections for details).

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

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Auf, R., Trepka, M.J., Selim, M. et al. E-cigarette use is associated with other tobacco use among US adolescents. Int J Public Health 64, 125–134 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-018-1166-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-018-1166-7

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