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Original Articles

Perceived Harm of Tobacco Products and Individual Schemas of a Smoker in Relation to Change in Tobacco Product Use Over One Year Among Young Adults

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Pages 90-98 | Published online: 22 Oct 2014
 

Abstract

Introduction: Given increases in nondaily smoking and alternative tobacco use among young adults, we examined the nature of change of various tobacco product use among college students over a year and predictors of use at one-year follow-up. Methods: An online survey was administered to students at six Southeast colleges and universities (N = 4,840; response rate = 20.1%) in Fall 2010, with attempts to follow up in Fall 2011 with a random subsample of 2,000 participants (N = 718; response rate = 35.9%). Data were analyzed from 698 participants with complete data regarding tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use over a one-year period, perceived harm of tobacco use, and schemas of a “smoker” (as per the Classifying a Smoker Scale). Results: Baseline predictors of current smoking at follow-up included being White (p = .001), frequency of smoking (p < .001), alternative tobacco use (p < .001), and perceived harm of smoking (p = .02); marginally significant predictors included marijuana use (p = .06) and lower scores on the Classifying a Smoker Scale (p = .07). Baseline predictors of current smoking at follow-up among baseline nondaily smokers included more frequent smoking (p = .008); lower Classifying a Smoker Scale score was a marginally significant predictor (p = .06). Baseline predictors of alternative tobacco use at follow-up included being male (p = .007), frequency of smoking (p = .04), alternative tobacco use (p < .001), and frequency of alcohol use (p = .003); marginally significant predictors included marijuana use (p = .07) and lower perceived harm of smokeless tobacco (p = .06) and cigar products (p = .08). Conclusions: Tobacco control campaigns and interventions might target schemas of a smoker and perceived risks of using various tobacco products, even at low levels.

THE AUTHORS

Carla J. Berg, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She earned her PhD in clinical health psychology from the University of Kansas, completed her clinical residency in Behavioral Medicine at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests are tobacco control, young adult health promotion, marijuana use, health disparities, cancer prevention and survivorship, health communication, and the use of marketing strategies to influence health behaviors.

Devan Romero, DrPH, is a health behavioral change specialist with expertise in tobacco research. She is currently an assistant professor at California State University San Marcos. Devan received Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Barry University, Master's in Science in kinesiology from California State University Fullerton, and a Doctoral in Public Health from Loma Linda University with an emphasis on health education and promotion. Her research background is in survey development to measure tobacco use and specifically smoking behavior among young adults. In addition, she is interested in examining behavior of other types of tobacco use and health disparities.

Kim Pulvers, PhD, is a clinical health psychologist and associate professor at California State University San Marcos. Kim received her Master's in Public Health and PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Kansas and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. Kim's research focuses on how psychological factors impact health behavior change. Her areas of interest are disease prevention and health promotion; health disparities; nicotine and tobacco use and other addictive behaviors; stress and mental health; distress tolerance; and positive psychology.

GLOSSARY

  • Cigarettes: Flavored, hand-rolled, and traditional cigarettes.

  • Cigar products: Clove cigars, large cigars, little cigars, and cigarillos.

  • Combustible tobacco: Cigarettes and cigar products.

  • Current tobacco use: Any use of tobacco in the past 30 days, including tobacco or any of the tobacco products.

  • Daily smoking: Smoking every day in the past 30 days.

  • Electronic cigarettes: Also known as a personal vaporizer (PV) or electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS); a battery-powered vaporizer that generally uses a heating element known as an atomizer that vaporizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid.

  • Hookah: A single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco called shisha, in which the vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin—often glass-based—before inhalation.

  • Nondaily smoking: Smoking from 1 to 29 days of the past 30 days.

  • Smokeless tobacco: Chew, snus, dissolvable tobacco products.

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