Abstract
INTRODUCTION Given that Appalachian youth tobacco use rates are higher than the US national average, it is important to understand whether sex differences shape associations between receiving and sharing product information and using tobacco. METHODS Middle and high school students in rural Appalachia (n=1038) were surveyed about tobacco-related perceptions and behaviors, including ways youth receive and share conventional tobacco-related and e-cigarette-related information. Youth were characterized as tobacco users (i.e. ever or current users of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or e-cigarettes) or never users. Descriptive characteristics were compared by tobacco use and sex. Adjusted logistic regression models evaluated associations between communication channels and tobacco use. Models were stratified by sex to examine effect modification. RESULTS Approximately one-third of Appalachian youth (33.8%) were tobacco users and use varied by sex (males: 54.4%; females: 45.6%). Male (OR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.18–2.60) and female (OR=2.30; 95% CI: 1.53–3.47) youth who received e-cigarette-related information through friends and family (FF) had higher odds of tobacco use. Additionally, females who received e-cigarette-related information through public displays and digital media had nearly two-fold increased odds of tobacco use. Although sharing conventional tobacco-related and e-cigarette-related information through FF was associated with increased odds of tobacco use among both sexes, these relationships were stronger among females. CONCLUSIONS Although specific communication channels were associated with tobacco use, associations involving receiving and sharing e-cigarette information were more pronounced in female tobacco users. Consideration of sex differences in how youth receive and share tobacco-related information may benefit tobacco prevention interventions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 25 |
| Journal | Population Medicine |
| Volume | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and FDA Center for Tobacco Products under Award Numbers P50HL120163 and U54HL120163. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the?official?views?of?the?NIH,?the?Food?and?Drug?Administration,?or? the American Heart Association. The funding sponsors had no role in study design; data collection, analyses, or interpretation; manuscript preparation; or the decision to publish the results.
Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and FDA Center for Tobacco Products under Award Numbers P50HL120163 and U54HL120163. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, or the American Heart Association. The funding sponsors had no role in study design; data collection, analyses, or interpretation; manuscript preparation; or the decision to publish the results.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020. Mattingly D. T. et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0).
Keywords
- Appalachia
- Communication channels
- E-cigarette
- Sex differences
- Tobacco
- Youth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health(social science)
- Health Policy
- Health Informatics
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
