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The term situationism refers to an individual's belief about the importance of a behaviour's context. This study tested whether the degree of situationism expressed by individuals in various regions of Europe was consistent with self-regulation and cross-cultural theories. The English version of a Situationism Scale (measuring beliefs about the relation between the environment and one's own behaviour) was translated into five additional languages: Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian and Slovenian. Young adults ( N = 1106, MAge = 22.9 years, 79% female) across Europe responded to one of the six language versions of the scale as part of a larger survey. Results indicated that: new language versions were psychometrically valid; there was a positive relation between situationism and the use of situation-control strategies; and situationism was higher for individuals from regions that are Eastern European and relatively more interdependent, compared with individuals from regions that are Western European and relatively less interdependent. As the first evaluation of the Situationism Scale outside America, this study supports the Scale's validity and suggests not only may some effects of situationism be universal, but between- and within-culture differences in situationism exist. Overall, when making judgments and decisions about the self, cultural background and individual differences in situationism may come into play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use contributes to health disparities across race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). Although adolescent research indicates group-based differences in regular use, few studies have examined patterns when initiation is just beginning. Using a sample of 917 Rhode Island middle schools students (54% female, 26% non-Hispanic White), we collected demographic information at baseline (M age 12.2); we then examined ever-puff (cigarettes), ever-sip (alcohol), and ever-use (marijuana) behaviors three years later. For cigarette use, we found differences based on SES and race/ethnicity (prevalence was particularly high among Native American youths). Marijuana use was associated with lower SES, and alcohol use was higher among females than males. Overall, findings indicate racial/ethnic-, gender- and SES-based differences in early substance-use milestones. From a prevention standpoint, it is important to evaluate differences not only in heavy substance use, but in early milestones, as they may set the course for health disparities across the life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco retailer density is consistently associated with poor tobacco-use outcomes. The aim of this review was to synthesize the international evidence on density reduction policies. Searches in multiple databases resulted in 31 studies covering various policy approaches evaluated for their impact on retailer density. Findings indicate that bans on tobacco sales in pharmacies reduced retailer density, but perhaps not equitably. Prohibiting sale of tobacco near schools produced greater density reductions in higher-risk neighborhoods. Policies in combination were most effective. Future studies should measure the impact of these policies on tobacco use. Density-reduction policies offer a promising approach to tobacco control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have proposed numerous factors that may contribute to rural adolescents' heightened risk for tobacco use. Some of these include well-known risk factors for tobacco use, whereas others concern factors unique to rural populations, reflecting norms and values ("rural culture") that accept and encourage tobacco use. This study aimed to test a broad range of tobacco-use risk factors to determine which were a) universal risk factors for both urban and rural adolescents vs. b) unique risk factors for rural adolescents. Data came from a prospective cohort study of 1220 adolescent males in Ohio who were aged 11-16 (average = 14 years) when surveyed at baseline (2015-2016). Follow-up surveys occurred every 6 months. The present study examined tobacco-use outcomes-prevalent use and incident use-by the two-year follow-up (2017-2018). Findings indicated a higher prevalence of ever-use of cigarette and smokeless tobacco among rural, vs. urban, adolescents at baseline. By the two-year follow-up, the urban/rural difference was attenuated but remained. Stratified multivariable logistic regression indicated that some baseline risk factors were associated with subsequent tobacco use for both rural and urban adolescents. Having an adult tobacco user in the home (for prevalent use) and susceptibility to a male family member offer of tobacco products (for both prevalent and incident use) were associated with tobacco use only for rural adolescents. These findings align with qualitative work demonstrating that masculinity and an intergenerational tobacco culture are important to male adolescents. This unique rural profile should be considered when developing prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Design, setting, participants Measurements Findings Conclusions To measure nicotine delivery, vaping topography and subjective effects of current generations of disposable, cartridge‐based and other types of electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes) among young adults.Observational, human laboratory assessment of e‐cigarette use in Columbus, Ohio, USA (July 2020 to June 2021). Participants (n = 96, 60.4% female, age mean = 21.7 [standard deviation = 1.7] years, 82.4% white race) were identified via their participation in a cohort study or other convenience sampling and were 18 to 25 years old, vaped ≥4 days/week for ≥4 weeks and used other tobacco products for ≤5 days of past 30 days. Participants completed a pre‐vaping questionnaire, vaped their usual brand of e‐cigarette ad libitum for 30 min and completed a post‐vaping questionnaire.Outcome variables included pre‐ and post‐vaping measures of plasma nicotine (t = 0 and t = 30, respectively) and craving and withdrawal symptoms, as well as vaping topography (e.g. flow rate and inter‐puff interval), pre‐vaping expectancies and post‐vaping product appeal. Variables used to characterize the sample included demographics, e‐cigarette and other tobacco use history, e‐cigarette dependence and e‐cigarette device characteristics (e.g. device type, flavor and nicotine form).Participants reported moderate nicotine dependence on average via the E‐Cigarette Dependence Scale (mean = 6.9 [standard deviation = 4.0]). Following 30 min of ad libitum vaping, participants achieved substantial plasma nicotine boost (mean = 18.8 [standard deviation = 14.5] ng/mL), corresponding with statistically significant decreases in withdrawal symptoms measured via the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (pre‐vaping mean = 9.0 [standard deviation = 5.1], post‐vaping mean = 4.3 [standard deviation = 3.9]; P‐value <0.0001). Pre‐vaping, participants reported moderate vaping expectancies (e.g. mean = 2.5 [standard deviation = 1.0] on a scale from 0 to 4 for smell and taste expectancies); post‐vaping, participants reported high satisfaction (mean = 4.6 [standard deviation = 1.2] on a scale from 1 to 7) and moderate reward (mean = 2.9 [standard deviation = 1.2]) and respiratory sensations (mean = 3.7 [standard deviation = 1.6]). Nearly half of participants (47.9%) used disposable e‐cigarettes, and most used a mint/menthol or fruit flavored (99.0%) and nicotine salt (98.9%) e‐liquid.Among young adults in the United States, the latest generations of e‐cigarettes appear to deliver large quantities of nicotine (similar to cigarettes) and significantly relieve withdrawal symptoms, and they are appealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveParticipantsMethodsResultsConclusionsThis study examined the relationship between use patterns of a popular e-cigarette brand using nicotine salts, JUUL, and symptoms of nicotine dependence in a college cohort.Data for this study came from a prospective cohort of undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university from 2018 to 2019.Among participants who had ever tried a JUUL (N = 411), univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to test the associations between use frequency (past 30-day use) and quantity (time to finish a pod) and nicotine dependence at follow up.In the multivariable models, both frequency of use and quantity of use were associated with subsequent nicotine dependence, based on most indicators of dependence.As salt-based nicotine is now present in the most popular e-cigarette brands used by young people, such findings inform our contemporary understanding of e-cigarettes’ addictive potential and can help inform campus-based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adherence to COVID-19 protective measures is lowest for young people and males. The current study investigated characteristics associated with adherence to COVID-19 protective measures among male youth during the early months of the pandemic. Method: The study used data from a prospective cohort study among male youth with baseline assessment in 2015/2016 and follow-up measurements in 2019 and summer 2020. Attrition-weighted multivariable ordinal logistic and log-binomial regression models were used to assess factors associated with adherence to overall and specific adherence measures, respectively. Results: Among 571 male youth (mean age 18.5), overall adherence was higher for those who were older (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03–1.30), non-White (OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.20–3.32), and residing in an urban area (OR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.46–3.01). Overall adherence was lower for those who had a history of being drunk (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42–0.99). For outdoor mask-wearing, adherence was higher for youth with attention-deficit disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (RR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.16–1.97) and lower for youth who currently used tobacco products (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.21–0.70). Before a statewide mask mandate was issued, non-White youth were more likely to report wearing masks in outdoor spaces than their non-Hispanic White peers (RR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.75–3.23). Conclusion: The study identified demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors associated with adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviors among male youth. The findings illustrate characteristics that could be leveraged for targeted preventive efforts during the ongoing pandemic and future outbreaks in a low-compliance group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents is associated with increased risk of subsequent cigarette smoking initiation in observational research. However, the existing research was not designed to answer causal questions about whether adolescent e-cigarette users would have initiated cigarette smoking if they had never used e-cigarettes. The current study used a causal inference framework to identify whether male adolescent e-cigarette users were at increased risk of initiating cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco (SLT) use, compared to similar boys who had never used e-cigarettes.Methods: Boys from urban and Appalachian Ohio (N = 1220; ages 11-16 years at enrollment) reported use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and SLT at baseline and every six months for two years. A propensity score matching design was implemented, matching one e-cigarette user to two similar e-cigarette non-users. This analysis was completed in 25 multiple imputed datasets to account for missing data. Risk ratios (RRs) comparing risk of initiating cigarettes and SLT for e-cigarette users and nonusers were estimated.Results: Compared to non-users, e-cigarette users were more than twice as likely to later initiate both cigarette smoking (RR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.89, 3.87) and SLT (RR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.73, 3.38). They were also more likely to become current (i.e., past 30-day) cigarette smokers (RR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.33, 3.64) and SLT users (RR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.64).Conclusions: Adolescent boys who used e-cigarettes had increased risk of later initiating traditional tobacco products when compared to similar boys who had never used e-cigarettes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has separately established that there are disparities in tobacco use, that greater tobacco retailer density (TRD) is positively associated with tobacco use, and that TRD is greater in high poverty and high racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods. Connecting these topics, this study examined the association between disparities in TRD and disparities in the prevalence of tobacco use among adults and youth. We obtained Ohio data on tobacco use from two statewide adult surveys and two sub-state regional youth surveys (2017-2019). Licensed tobacco retailers in Ohio were geocoded within census tracts. Disparity in TRD within regions across the state was defined as the ratio of TRD in high vs. low poverty (and in high vs. low racial/ethnic minority) census tracts per region. Disparity in cigarette smoking (adults) and any tobacco use (youth) was defined as the ratio of use prevalence among socioeconomically disadvantaged vs. non-disadvantaged (and racial/ethnic minority vs. non-minority) individuals. We estimated Pearson correlation coefficients to assess the linear relationship between the TRD disparity ratios and tobacco use disparity ratios. Poverty-based and race/ethnicity-based TRD disparities were positively associated with smoking disparities among adults. Negative associations between TRD disparities and tobacco use disparities were found among youth. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis directly linking TRD disparities and tobacco use disparities. Different adult and youth findings may be due to trends by age and product preferences. For adults in particular, this analysis suggests a detrimental effect of the tobacco retail environment on disadvantaged populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1930s United States, urban neighborhoods were graded on their desirability for investment (often based on race), a process known as "redlining." This study examined how historical redlining relates to current disparities in an important health determinant: tobacco retailer density. Analyses were conducted for thirteen Ohio cities using negative binomial models that accounted for retailer spatial dependence and controlled for present-day sociodemographic characteristics. Findings indicated that as grades increased from "Best" to "Still Desirable" to "Definitely Declining" and "Hazardous," retailer density increased monotonically. These results highlight the persisting impacts of redlining and how disparities, once intentionally created, can be perpetuated over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco retailer density might influence youth e-cigarette use due to increased access and exposure to point-of-sale marketing. There is a need for longitudinal investigations on the association of tobacco retailer density with youth e-cigarette use, with consideration of contextual factors such as neighbourhood walkability that could enhance retailer exposure., Methods: Five semi-annual waves (Fall 2021-Fall 2023) of a Southern California school-based cohort of youth who never vaped at baseline (n=3401; mean baseline age=15 years [range=12-17]) were merged with spatial data on tobacco retailers corresponding to each school year. Time-varying measures of retailer exposures included count of retailers within circular home buffers (800 m/1600 m buffers) and retailer density/km 2 within home census tracts. Discrete-time survival analyses estimated associations of time-lagged and time-varying retailer exposures with vaping initiation at each 6-month follow-up, adjusting for race/ethnicity, parental education, neighbourhood walkability and an Area Deprivation Index. Secondary analyses examined moderation by neighbourhood walkability based on a National Walkability Index., Results: The incident rate of vaping initiation was 3.8% per 6-month follow-up. After covariate adjustment, only associations with census tract retail density were statistically significant (risk ratio (RR) highest vs lowest quartile=1.36, 95% CI=1.01 to 1.84). In moderation analyses, count of retailers within 800 m home buffers was positively associated with vaping initiation for youth who lived in the most walkable neighbourhoods (RR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.16), with no association for youth in less walkable neighbourhoods (RR=1.00, 95% CI:0.95 to 1.05; interaction p-value=0.0238)., Conclusion: Findings highlight the potential role of restricting retailer density in preventing youth vaping, particularly in areas characterised by both greater walkability and tobacco retailer density., Competing Interests: Competing interests: No, there are no competing interests., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Background: Among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), "current use" of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is commonly defined as any use in the past 30 days. However, few studies have examined differences among those within this broad category. This study examined characteristics of AYAs who used e-cigarettes at a low frequency (within the last 3 months but <6 days out of the past 30 days) and those who used e-cigarettes at a high frequency (6+ days out of the past 30 days)., Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses among 551 Ohio AYAs (15- to 24-year-olds) who reported using an e-cigarette to vape nicotine in the past 3 months. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to characterize those using e-cigarettes at a low frequency and a high frequency., Results: Among our sample of AYAs who reported past 3-month e-cigarette use, about half (50.8%) reported using an e-cigarette 6 or more days out of the past 30 days (ie, high frequency). In the multivariable analysis, reported nicotine dependence (Odds Ratio [OR]: 7.0, 95% CI: 4.8, 10.3) and current other tobacco product use (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.9) were associated with high-frequency e-cigarette use., Conclusion: Our results suggest that frequency of use is an important characteristic in understanding AYA e-cigarette use. Any use in the past 30 days may not be sensitive enough to understand dependence and tobacco-use behaviors. Further characterizing "current" e-cigarette use by frequency of use may provide meaningful information for public health professionals to better target intervention and cessation efforts to AYAs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: In recent years, the nicotine in e-cigarettes has been available in either a 'free-base' (unprotonated) or 'nicotine salt' (protonated) form. Additionally, e-cigarette nicotine can be either 'synthetic' or 'tobacco-derived'. These dimensions of nicotine have implications for nicotine absorption, bioavailability and sensory experiences. However, it is unclear if the young people using e-cigarettes are aware of these nicotine dimensions., Methods: Data came from a cohort of Ohio youth (aged 15-24) who reported using an e-cigarette in the past 4 months (N=271). Participants were enrolled and provided background information in 2021; their 12-month follow-up survey asked about the presence, form and type of nicotine in their usual e-cigarette. Individuals who reported that they could distinguish between tobacco-derived and synthetic nicotine were additionally asked to describe the difference., Results: Of the 247 youth who reported that there was nicotine in their usual e-cigarette, 71.7% did not know whether it was free-base or nicotine salt and 75.7% did not know whether it was synthetic or tobacco-derived. Awareness was higher among youth who were using e-cigarettes at a greater frequency and quantity. The majority reported that they could not detect a difference between the experience of using synthetic vs tobacco-derived nicotine., Conclusions: These findings indicate the generally limited awareness about nicotine among youth who used e-cigarettes. Improvements in health communications and requirements for e-cigarette industry disclosures are necessary to ensure that consumers are better informed about the dimensions-and the risks-of the nicotine they are consuming., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Competing Interests: Disclosures: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures or conflicts of interest.

Objective: Examine trends in e-cigarette use, and Juul use specifically, among U.S. college students., Participants: In 2016, we established a cohort of 529 incoming first-year students to a large Midwestern University. In 2018, these students (now third-years) were re-contacted, and a new sample of 611 incoming first-year students was enrolled., Methods: First-year students in 2016 completed a survey assessing their e-cigarette use; in 2018, first- and second-year students reported on e-cigarette use, and use of Juul specifically., Results: From 2016 to 2018, past 30-day e-cigarette use rose from 5.9% to 27.7%. In 2018, for Juul alone, ever use was above 35% and past 30-day use was above 20% for both cohorts. Juul use did not differ by gender, but was associated with higher socioeconomic status (SES) and being White., Conclusions: Findings present disturbing possibilities for long-term nicotine addiction among the next generation, and underscore the need for a rapid public health response.

The prevalence of smoking among rural Americans and Americans of lower socioeconomic status (SES) remains higher than among their urban and higher SES counterparts. Potential factors contributing to these disparities are area-based differences in the retail environment and tobacco control policies. We describe the association between neighborhood demographics and cigarette prices in rural and urban areas. Prices of one pack of Marlboro Reds, Newport menthols, and the cheapest cigarettes in the store were recorded from a stratified random sample of tobacco retailers in urban (N = 104) and rural (N = 109) Ohio in 2016. Associations between prices and census tract demographics (SES and race) were modeled separately in each region, controlling for store type. In the rural region, as the census tract income increased, the price of Marlboro and Newport cigarettes decreased, and the price of the cheapest pack of cigarettes increased. In the urban region, as the census tract income and percentage of White non-Hispanic people increased, the price of Marlboro decreased; there were no associations between census tract characteristics and the price of Newports or the cheapest cigarettes. Results describe a complex association between cigarette brand, prices, and area characteristics, where the cheapest brands of cigarettes can be obtained for the lowest prices in lower SES rural areas. Tobacco control policies that raise the price of cheap cigarettes, particularly minimum price laws, have the potential to reduce SES-related smoking disparities in both rural and urban populations.