Associate Dean for Research Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah South Jordan, Utah, United States
Presenter: Man Hung, Ph.D. – Associate Dean for Research, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Author: Jungweon V. Park, M.S. – Dental Student, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Author: Chase Hardy, B.S. – Dental Student, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Author: Ben Raymond Author: Frank Licari, D.D.S. MPH M.B.A. – Dean, College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Author: Martin S. Lipsky, MD – Professor, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Author: Andrew Spencer Author: Clarissa Goh Author: Ryan Moffat, D.D.S. M.P.H. F.A.A.P.D Author: Man Hung, Ph.D. – Associate Dean for Research, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah Submitter: Jungweon V. Park, M.S. – Dental Student, Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine – South Jordan, Utah
Objectives: With the rise of adolescent e-cigarette usage in the United States (US), e-cigarette flavors have become the target in regulating usage amongst young adults. Popularity of non-traditional flavors including fruits, pastries, and even alcoholic drinks seemed to increase the usage of e-cigarettes resulting in some states banning the consumption of non-traditional flavors. This study aimed to study if non-traditional flavor when initiating e-cigarette use predicted addictive behavior. Understanding this relationship will help public health educators utilize it in regulating adolescents' e-cigarette usage and addiction prevention in the US.
Methods: Multi-wave youth Population Assessment of Tobacco Health Study (PATH) data waves from 2011 to 2019 was used. E-cigarette addiction and harm perception were the outcome variables in studying the impact initiating e-cigarette use with traditional versus non-traditional flavor types. Linear regression analyses of the composite scores for both outcome variables were used to analyze if the initiation flavor type is associated with addiction and harm perception.
Results: The study included a total sample size of 1,043 youth (weighted N = 1,873,617) aged 12 to 17 years. Covariates were adjusted and no statistically significant difference was found between initiating flavors and addiction levels (p=0.423). No statistically significant differences were found between initiating flavors and harm perceptions (p=0.451).
Conclusion: This study indicated that non-traditional initiating e-cigarette flavors did not result in addiction nor harm perceptions more than traditional flavors. Although further research to study specific flavors and their association to greater addictive behavior and harm perception is needed, this study results showed that banning non-traditional flavors has no significant effect in reducing e-cigarette usage.
