Actual and perceived E-cigarettes behaviors among a national sample of U.S. college students

Abstract

Objective: Electronic cigarette use represents an important college health concern. This investigation assessed demographic and behavioral correlates associated with actual and perceived e-cigarette use among a national sample of American college students. Methods: Respondents (n = 19,861) comprised college students from over 40 distinct American higher education institutions. Multivariable logistic regression assessed whether (1) alcohol, tobacco or marijuana use were associated with e-cigarette use; (2) perceived peer use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana were associated with perceived e-cigarette use. Results: Approximately 5% of survey respondents self-reported using e-cigarettes within the past month. More than 7 out of every 10 respondents, however, thought the ‘typical student’ was an e-cigarette user. As perceptions of typical student substance use increased, respondents were far more likely to contend the typical student used e-cigarettes. Discussion: In addition to adopting smoke-free campus policies, university officials should disseminate accurate information regarding e-cigarette behaviors of students.

Keywords:

• actual use
• campus policies
• college students
• electronic cigarettes
• perceived use
• vaping behavior

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. 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 (IRB) Administration of Texas A&M University.

Funding

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