CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Exposure to secondhand smoke and intention to use e-cigarettes among adolescents: findings from a cross-sectional survey
 
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Turpanjian College of Health Sciences, American University of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
 
 
Publication date: 2023-10-08
 
 
Corresponding author
Varduhi Hayrumyan   

Turpanjian College of Health Sciences, American University of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
 
 
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2023;9(Supplement 2):A75
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Adolescence is a critical developmental period, and the initiation of e-cigarette use during this phase can seriously impact future tobacco-related behavior. Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) has been linked to increased e-cigarette initiation among adolescents. This study aims to investigate the relationship between SHSe and e-cigarette use intention in adolescents in Armenia, adjusting for socio-demographic factors.

Material and Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 15-17-year-old adolescents attending private (n=1) and public (n=3) high schools in Yerevan (the capital) and one randomly selected province in Armenia in February 2023. The survey assessed socio-demographics, past 30-days SHSe, as well as intention to use and actual use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use intention was scored from 0 (definitely not) to 3 (definitely yes). Multivariable regression explored the association between e-cigarette use intention and SHSe while adjusting for gender, school type, parental employment, and living in the capital vs. region.

Results:
A total of 366 adolescents participated in the survey, with 64.4% of them being females, 71.3% residing in Yerevan, and 77.0% attending public schools. About 96.5% of adolescents had employed fathers, while only 76.2% had employed mothers. Among those who never used e-cigarettes (59.3%), the average intention score was 0.84 out of possible 3. Majority of adolescents (68.3%) were exposed to SHS from any source for at least one day within the past 30 days. The primary sources of SHSe were friends (44.6%), fathers (37.2%), and other relatives (29.7%). In the multivariable regression analysis, the intention score was positively associated with SHSe, after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics (β=0.33, p=0.014).

Conclusions:
This study highlights a significant association between the intention to use e-cigarettes and SHSe among adolescents in Armenia. Given the high prevalence of SHSe in Armenia, further exploration of this relationship is essential to inform public health policies and interventions targeting adolescents.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
eISSN:2459-3087
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