Poly-tobacco use among high school students

Sarah D. Kowitt, Tanha Patel, Leah M. Ranney, Li Ling Huang, Erin L. Sutfin, Adam O. Goldstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although cigarette use by adolescents is declining, emerging tobacco products are becoming increasingly popular and youth may use more than one type of tobacco product. The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess patterns of poly-tobacco use among a representative sample of high school students and (2) to determine how beliefs correlate with poly-tobacco use. Data came from the 2013 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 4092). SAS logistic regression survey procedures were used to account for the complex survey design and sampling weights. Among all high school students in NC in 2013, 29.7% reported current any tobacco use, with 19.1% reporting current poly-tobacco use, and 10.6% reporting current use of only one product. Among poly-tobacco users, 59.3% reported that one of the products they currently used was cigarettes. Positive tobacco product beliefs were found to be significantly associated with poly-tobacco use. Communication campaigns, policy efforts, and future research are needed for prevention, regulation, and control of poly-tobacco use among adolescents, which represents a significant public health problem.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14477-14489
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume12
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 13 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adolescents
  • Health beliefs
  • Non-cigarette tobacco products
  • Tobacco policy
  • Tobacco products

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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