Over the past couple of years, the rise in sales of electronic cigarettes has led to a focus on its usage by adolescents. E-cigarettes are known to increase the risk of addiction and may carry physical health complications.
According to a new study, published in the journal Public Health Nursing, researchers have uncovered a number of key factors said to be correlated with excessive electronic cigarette consumption.
The findings read: “The use of e‐cigarettes is rapidly increasing in adolescents. Health care providers pay attention to e‐cigarette users because of the risk of developing addiction and problematic behavior.”
“Based on ecological perspective, this study investigated factors influencing continued e‐cigarette use.”
The study was conducted by a South Korean team of researchers at Pusan National University. Over 1,500 adolescents were analyzed from the Korean national representative data of current e-cigarette users.
“We classified 1556 current e‐cigarette users into experimental and continued users using the Korean national representative data. Data were analyzed using the chi‐square test and logistic regression based on a complex sample analysis,” said the study’s co-authors.
Of all the participants, nearly 55 percent said they consumed e-cigarettes for six to 30 days over the last month. Close to 45 percent reported using them for up to five days.
The primary motive for the perceived substance use, as researchers validated, was the notion that they posed a lower risk to their own health compared to traditional cigarettes.
Additionally, most of the participants inferred that its variety of flavors, simplicity in obtaining them, environmental factors, and its similarity to traditional cigarettes, were all factors contributing to their habits.
“Continued e‐cigarette use was influenced by interpersonal and environmental factors, such as ease of purchase and addition of flavoring substances. Improving the environment of adolescents can prevent continued use of e‐cigarettes,” the study concluded.
In many nations, including the U.S. and South Korea, e-cigarette usage remains a heightened concern for its potential effects among adolescents. The risks it may pose to one’s physical and mental health are still the subject of ongoing, vigorous research.