A longitudinal study of risk perceptions and e-cigarette initiation among college students: Interactions with smoking status

摘要: Abstract Background Recent data suggest that lower perceived risks of e-cigarettes are associated with e-cigarette use in young adults; however, the temporality this relationship is not well-understood. We explore how perceptions harmfulness and addictiveness influence initiation, specifically whether association varies by cigarette smoking status, a longitudinal study tobacco on college campuses. Methods Data from 5-wave 24-college Texas. Only students who reported never using at wave 1 were included (n = 2565). Multilevel discrete-time hazard models, accounting for school clustering, used. The dependent variable, ever use, was assessed each wave. Both time-varying (e-cigarette addictiveness, age, cigarettes, other products, substances) time-invariant demographic covariates included. Two-way interactions between perception variable current conventional tested to determine if hypothesized differed among smokers non-smokers. Results 21% all users baseline had initiated 5. Significant two-way qualified risk initiation. Specifically, degree (OR = 1.13, p = .047) (OR = 1.34, p  Conclusion Perceiving contributes subsequent initiation non-smokers, but smokers. Findings have implications prevention campaigns focusing potential harm non-smoking students.