Transitions in tobacco use profiles among adolescents: Results from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study waves 3 and 4

Authors

Katelyn F. Romm, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA. Electronic address: kromm@gwu.edu.
Margaret G. Childers, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Electronic address: mgc0002@mix.wvu.edu.
Ashley E. Douglas, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Electronic address: aed0034@mix.wvu.edu.
Bethany C. Bray, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA. Electronic address: bcbray@uic.edu.
Geri Dino, West Virginia Prevention Research Center, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Electronic address: gdino@hsc.wvu.edu.
Melissa D. Blank, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; West Virginia Prevention Research Center, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Electronic address: mdblank@mail.wvu.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-1-2022

Journal

Drug and alcohol dependence

Volume

232

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109272

Keywords

Adolescence; Latent transition analysis; Polytobacco use; Risk factors

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Despite increases in adolescents' polytobacco use, little work has utilized recent national data to examine transitions in polytobacco use over time or predictors of such transitions. METHODS: Data derived from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Participants used at least one tobacco product (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [ECIGs], traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, snus, smokeless tobacco [SLT], hookah) at Wave 3 (W3; 2015-2016) or 4 (W4; 2016-2018) and had Wave 1 (W1) data (N = 1072; M= 13.71, SD =1.71, 46.4% female; 56.6% White, 23.2% Hispanic). Latent transition analysis (LTA) examined probabilities of transitioning between classes across waves and sociodemographic correlates of transitions. RESULTS: Five latent classes were identified: Low Users (n = 372, 34.7% W3; n = 249, 23.3% W4), ECIG Users (n = 256, 23.8% W3; n = 286, 26.7% W4), Cigarette Users (n = 215, 20.1% W3; n = 293, 27.3% W4), SLT Users (n = 91, 8.5% W3; n = 92, 8.6% W4), and Polytobacco Users (n = 138, 12.9% W3; n = 152, 14.1% W4). Cigarette Users and SLT Users displayed the highest probabilities for class stability. Low Users were most likely to transition to ECIG Users or Cigarette Users, whereas Polytobacco Users were most likely to transition to Low Users. ECIG Users were likely to transition to Low Users or Cigarette Users. Older and White adolescents were more likely to display riskier transitions. CONCLUSIONS: Although Cigarette Users and SLT Users remained largely stable in membership, findings demonstrate greater movement across polytobacco use classes relative to previous research and suggest that ECIGs may be the most common entry point to tobacco use.

APA Citation

Romm, Katelyn F.; Childers, Margaret G.; Douglas, Ashley E.; Bray, Bethany C.; Dino, Geri; and Blank, Melissa D., "Transitions in tobacco use profiles among adolescents: Results from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study waves 3 and 4" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 184.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/184

Department

Prevention and Community Health