Trajectories of e-cigarette advertising exposure, e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking in a sample of young adults from Hawaii

Abstract

Aim: To test whether intrapersonal growth in e-cigarette advertising exposure over time is associated with growth in e-cigarette use and/or cigarette smoking.

Design: Longitudinal study using four waves of data were collected in 6-month intervals between 2018 and 2020.

Setting and participants: Participants were 2327 young adults recruited from colleges in Hawaii, USA.

Measurements: Data were collected on demographics, e-cigarette advertising exposure measured using the cued- recall method and recent (past 30-day) cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Findings: The average trajectory for e-cigarette advertising exposure over time was significant and upward [M slope = 0.18 (0.14-0.22), P < 0.0001]. However, average trajectories for e-cigarette [M slope = -0.08 (-0.18 to 0.02), P = 0.09] and cigarette [M slope = -0.14 (-0.30 to 0.02), P = 0.07] use were not. There were significant differences in individual level trajectories across participants for advertising exposure [σ² = 0.12 (0.10-0.14), P < 0.0001], e-cigarette use [σ² = 0.22 (0.14-0.30), and cigarette smoking (σ² = 0.17 [0.09-0.25], P < 0.0001). Individuals with an increasing rate of advertising exposure showed an increasing rate of e-cigarette use [B = 0.63 (0.36-0.90), P < 0.0001). Neither initial level of, nor rate of change in, advertising exposure was significantly associated with cigarette smoking growth factors (P > 0.05). Higher initial level of e-cigarette use was associated with higher initial level of cigarette smoking [B = 0.89 (0.69-1.09), P < 0.0001] but decreased rate of cigarette smoking over time [B = -0.12 (-0.20 to -0.04) P = 0.003]. Rate of change in e-cigarette use was not associated with the rate of change in cigarette smoking (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Increased exposure to e-cigarette advertising appears to be associated with increased e-cigarette use but not with increased cigarette smoking. Higher initial level of e-cigarette use appears to be associated with higher initial level of cigarette smoking but may be associated with a decreasing rate of cigarette smoking over time.

Keywords: Cigarette smoking; e-cigarette advertising; e-cigarette use; longitudinal; multiethnic; young adults.