Prevalence, knowledge and factors associated with e-cigarette use among parents of secondary school children

Objectives: Identify prevalence rates and attitudes towards e-cigarette use among parents to inform prevention strategies designed to reduce uptake in young people. Study design: A mixed methods sequential study guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Methods: This research involved two phases. P...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Julie Doherty (Author), Jenny Davison (Author), Marian McLaughlin (Author), Melanie Giles (Author), Lynn Dunwoody (Author), Claire McDowell (Author), Sarah Butter (Author), Elaine Wilmont (Author), Ellen Simpson (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Elsevier, 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:Objectives: Identify prevalence rates and attitudes towards e-cigarette use among parents to inform prevention strategies designed to reduce uptake in young people. Study design: A mixed methods sequential study guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Methods: This research involved two phases. Phase one was an elicitation study using focus groups, interviews and open-ended questionnaires (N = 17) to elicit parental behavioural, normative, and control beliefs around e-cigarette use. Findings from phase 1 were used to inform a questionnaire administered to a sample of 612 parents in phase 2. The aim of phase 2 was to identify and explain factors that influence parental attitudes and motivations towards e-cigarette use. Parents were recruited through post-primary schools and were sent a link to an online survey. Results: Approximately 19% of parents had tried an e-cigarette, with 9% reporting current use. Sociodemographic variables, TPB constructs and knowledge of e-cigarettes, accounted for 43% and 60% of ever use and intention to use an e-cigarette, respectively. Intention, gender, age and free school meal entitlement were associated with ever use. Intention to use an e-cigarette was related to lower educational level, current smoking of traditional cigarettes, more positive attitudes, greater social pressure, having greater control over use and knowledge. Conclusions: Prevention strategies designed to reduce uptake in young people should raise awareness of the health risks of e-cigarette use, legislation and regulations and highlight the role parents play in encouraging young people to abstain from using an e-cigarette.
Item Description:2666-5352
10.1016/j.puhip.2022.100334