SARS-CoV-2 infection and e-cigarette use, binge drinking, and other associated risk factors in a college population

Abstract

In the summer of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among the U.S. population aged 20–39 years exceeded other age groups, with the largest increases occurring in the southern US. As many colleges reopened for in-person instruction in August and September, these trends continued among campuses across the country. Our study aimed to identify risk factors (demographic and behavioral) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among college students. We used data from a survey administered to students at a southern university in the US. The survey had a total of 765 respondents and this study included the 679 (88.8%) who responded about their SARS-CoV-2 infection status. We examined associations between population characteristics and reported SARS-CoV-2 infection and calculated prevalence ratios along with 95% confidence intervals. SARS-CoV-2 infection was 2.5 times more likely among current users of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) compared to those who do not use ENDS (95% confidence interval [CI]: (1.76–3.4)) and 2.8 times more likely among those who reported a high frequency of binge drinking compared to those who did not report binge drinking (95% CI: (1.81–4.36)). Current high frequency ENDS users were 2.76 (1.79–4.25) more likely to report SARS-CoV-2 infection than non-users. Current low frequency users of ENDS were 2.27 (1.53–3.37) times more likely to report SARS-CoV-2 infection than nonusers. A trend analysis among ENDS use frequency and SARS-CoV-2 infection was statistically significant, showing a significant dose response with increasing ENDS use. The results of this analysis may assist in providing guidance on policies as well as may serve as a steppingstone for future research concerning SAR-CoV-2 infection among university populations.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• binge drinking
• college health
• COVID-19
• electronic cigarettes
• SARS-CoV-2

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests to disclose. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Georgia.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.