TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlates of current menthol cigarette and flavored other tobacco product use among U.S. young adults
AU - Rath, Jessica M.
AU - Villanti, Andrea C.
AU - Williams, Valerie F.
AU - Richardson, Amanda
AU - Pearson, Jennifer L.
AU - Vallone, Donna M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Authors.
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - Background: Flavored and menthol tobacco products are particularly appealing to young adults. However, little is known about factors associated with their use in this population. Purpose: To examine characteristics associated with using menthol cigarettes, flavored other tobacco products (OTP), and flavored e-cigarettes among young adults. Methods: Using a nationally representative online sample of young adults (n = 4239) from the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study, mutually exclusive groups were created from the subset of current tobacco users (N = 1037) for users of menthol cigarettes (N = 311; 30%), non-menthol cigarettes (N = 426; 41%), flavored OTP only users (N = 114; 11%), and non-flavored OTP only users (N = 186; 18%) to examine factors of being in any one group. Data were collected in July 2012. Results: In the full multivariable model, significant correlates of current menthol cigarette use were female gender (AOR = 2.08), Black race (AOR = 5.31), other race (AOR = 2.72), Hispanic ethnicity (AOR = 2.46) and self-identifying as a smoker, social smoker, or occasional smoker (AOR = 10.42). Significant correlates of current flavored OTP use were younger age (18-24; AOR = 3.50), self-identifying as a smoker, social smoker, or occasional smoker (AOR = 30) and generalized anxiety (AOR = 0.30). Conclusions: This study highlights female gender, Blacks/other race/Hispanics, smokers, social smokers and sexual minorities as correlates of menthol cigarette use and younger age as a predictor of flavored OTP use. Restricting access to flavored tobacco products may be one intervention to help slow the tobacco epidemic, particularly among many of the most vulnerable groups-young women and racial and/or ethnic minorities.
AB - Background: Flavored and menthol tobacco products are particularly appealing to young adults. However, little is known about factors associated with their use in this population. Purpose: To examine characteristics associated with using menthol cigarettes, flavored other tobacco products (OTP), and flavored e-cigarettes among young adults. Methods: Using a nationally representative online sample of young adults (n = 4239) from the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study, mutually exclusive groups were created from the subset of current tobacco users (N = 1037) for users of menthol cigarettes (N = 311; 30%), non-menthol cigarettes (N = 426; 41%), flavored OTP only users (N = 114; 11%), and non-flavored OTP only users (N = 186; 18%) to examine factors of being in any one group. Data were collected in July 2012. Results: In the full multivariable model, significant correlates of current menthol cigarette use were female gender (AOR = 2.08), Black race (AOR = 5.31), other race (AOR = 2.72), Hispanic ethnicity (AOR = 2.46) and self-identifying as a smoker, social smoker, or occasional smoker (AOR = 10.42). Significant correlates of current flavored OTP use were younger age (18-24; AOR = 3.50), self-identifying as a smoker, social smoker, or occasional smoker (AOR = 30) and generalized anxiety (AOR = 0.30). Conclusions: This study highlights female gender, Blacks/other race/Hispanics, smokers, social smokers and sexual minorities as correlates of menthol cigarette use and younger age as a predictor of flavored OTP use. Restricting access to flavored tobacco products may be one intervention to help slow the tobacco epidemic, particularly among many of the most vulnerable groups-young women and racial and/or ethnic minorities.
KW - Flavored tobacco products
KW - Menthol cigarettes
KW - Young adults
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U2 - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.05.021
DO - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.05.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 27310032
AN - SCOPUS:84973863275
SN - 0306-4603
VL - 62
SP - 35
EP - 41
JO - Addictive Behaviors
JF - Addictive Behaviors
ER -