E-cigarette Use among High School and Middle School Adolescents in Connecticut
Menée dans l'Etat du Connecticut (Etats-Unis) à partir d'une enquête réalisée en 2013 auprès de 3 614 lycéens ou collégiens, cette étude analyse leur utilisation de la cigarette électronique
Introduction : There is limited evidence on e-cigarette use among US adolescents. Methods : Cross-sectional, anonymous surveys conducted in four high schools (HS; n=3614) and two middle schools (MS; n=1166) in CT in November 2013 examined e-cigarette awareness, use patterns, susceptibility to future use, preferences, product components used (battery type, nicotine content, flavors), and sources of marketing and access. Results : High rates of awareness (MS: 84.3%; HS: 92.0%) and of lifetime (3.5% MS, 25.2 % HS) and current (1.5% MS, 12% HS) use of e-cigarettes was observed. Among those who had not tried e-cigarettes, 26.4% of MS and 31.7% of HS students reported being susceptible to future use. Males (OR=1.70, p<0.01), older students (OR=1.39, p<0.05), Caucasians (OR=2.01, p<0.001), ever cigarette smokers (OR= 13.04, p<0.001), and current cigarette smokers (OR= 65.11, p<0.001) were more likely to be lifetime e-cigarette users and to report greater future susceptibility (Males: OR=1.30; Caucasians: OR=1.14; Ever cigarette smokers; OR=3.85; Current Cigarette smokers; OR=9.81; p’s <0.01-0.001). Among MS students who were lifetime e-cigarette users, 51.2% reported that e-cigarettes was the first tobacco product they had tried. E-cigarettes that were rechargeable and had sweet flavors were most popular. Smokers preferred e-cigarettes to cigarettes. Current cigarette smokers were more likely to initiate with nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, and ever- and never- cigarette smokers to initiate with e-cigarettes without nicotine. Primary sources for e-cigarette advertisements were televisions and gas stations and, for acquiring e-cigarettes, were peers.