Determinants of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use among Youth and Young Adults in Poland-PolNicoYouth Study

Ilona Wężyk-Caba; Małgorzata Znyk; Radosław Zajdel; Łukasz Balwicki; Anna Tyrańska-Fobke; Grzegorz Juszczyk; Karolina Zajdel; Beata Świątkowska; Dorota Kaleta

doi:10.3390/ijerph191811512

Determinants of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use among Youth and Young Adults in Poland-PolNicoYouth Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 13;19(18):11512. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811512.

Authors

Ilona Wężyk-Caba¹, Małgorzata Znyk¹, Radosław Zajdel², Łukasz Balwicki³, Anna Tyrańska-Fobke³, Grzegorz Juszczyk⁴, Karolina Zajdel⁵, Beata Świątkowska¹, Dorota Kaleta¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 7/9 Żeligowskiego Street, 90-752 Łódź, Poland.
² Department of Business and Informatics, University of Łódź, POW 3/5 Street, 90-255 Łódź, Poland.
³ Department of Public Health and Social Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki Street, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Jana Nielubowicza St., 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Department of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Medical University of Lodz, 1 Hallera Sq., 90-645 Łódź, Poland.

Abstract

Teen use of tobacco-related products is a significant public health concern. This study evaluated the predictors of e-cigarette use among secondary school students who were never cigarette smokers and ever cigarette smokers in Poland.

Methods: This study examined a sample of Polish youths aged 13-19 (n = 19,241) attending 200 schools, 12 on average in each county. The study was a part of the National Health Program in Poland for 2016-2020. Logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios.

Results: Of all participants, 32.5% were ever cigarette users. Among the never cigarette users, 13.6% were deemed susceptible to e-cigarette use. Among the ever cigarette users, 60.6% were deemed susceptible to e-cigarette use. Of those susceptible to e-cigarette use, 68.2% were among the 32.5% ever cigarette users. The profile of e-cigarette use among never e-cigarette users also included: pocket money available per month (more than 150 PLN) (OR = 1.7; p = 0.001), 16-17 years old (OR = 1.9; p = 0.001), parental tobacco smoking and e-cigarette usage (OR = 2.0; p = 0.01 and OR = 1.7; p = 0.001 respectively), maternal secondary education (OR = 1.1; p = 0.04), and living in big cities >500,000 inhabitants (OR = 1.4; p = 0.04). E-cigarette users among ever cigarette users were similar to never cigarette users in their opinion that e-cigarette use is less harmful than traditional smoking (OR = 1.6; p = 0.0012) and living with both parents smoking cigarettes (OR = 1.3; p = 0.02). Additionally, the determinants were: female gender (OR = 1.5; p = 0.009) in the age group less than 15 years of age (OR = 1.3; p = 0.007).

Conclusions: The major determinant of e-cigarette use in this population was prior smoking. Additionally, the results revealed that fairly obvious predictors such as parental smoking and a belief in the less harmfulness of e-cigarette use are important determinants for smoking among never or ever e-cigarette users.

Keywords: e-cigarette use; predictors of smoking; young adults.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems*
Female
Humans
Poland / epidemiology
Smoking / epidemiology
Tobacco Products*
Vaping* / epidemiology
Young Adult

Grants and funding

This study was funded under the National Health Program for 2016–2020 from the Fund for Solving Gambling Problems, at the disposal of the Minister of Health (agreement number 6/2/5/NPZ/FRPH/2019/1094/903).