E-Cigarettes: Perceived Harm among Youth in the United States

Studies have shown e-cigarette use surged among youth, but there is limited literature about how youth perceived the harm of these products. In this dissertation study, perceived harm of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette use over time among youth in the United States was explored. The dissertation study also included assessment of associations between perceived harm and susceptibility to e-cigarette use. A subset of data from Wave 1 and Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a national longitudinal study, was utilized. The PATH study used a questionnaire to capture self-reported data from non-institutionalized participants. Data from 12,154 youth who participated in the PATH study were analyzed. The results showed perceived harm of e-cigarettes changed over time among youth and changes in perceived absolute harm of e-cigarettes coincided with changes in e-cigarette use. The results also indicated that perceived absolute harm of e-cigarettes was associated with susceptibility to use of e-cigarettes and susceptibility to use of e-cigarettes was associated with subsequent e-cigarette use. With the dissertation study, the need for integration of perceived harm of e-cigarettes into tobacco control strategies aimed at reducing e-cigarette use among youth was underscored