E-Cigarette Use Among Youths and Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: United States, 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e9
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Kreslake ◽  
Bethany J. Simard ◽  
Katie M. O’Connor ◽  
Minal Patel ◽  
Donna M. Vallone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Young People ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
At Home

Objectives. To determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected e-cigarette use among young people in the United States. Methods. Data came from a weekly cross-sectional online survey of youths and young adults (aged 15–24 years). Logistic regression analyses measured odds of past-30-day e-cigarette use (n = 5752) following widespread stay-at-home directives (March 14–June 29, 2020), compared with the pre‒COVID-19 period (January 1–March 13, 2020). Logistic regression among a subsample of current e-cigarette users (n = 779) examined factors associated with reduced use following stay-at-home orders. Results. Odds of current e-cigarette use were significantly lower during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre‒COVID-19 period among youths aged 15 to 17 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.54, 0.96) and young adults aged 18 to 20 years (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.52, 0.81). E-cigarette users with reduced access to retail environments had higher odds of reporting reduced e-cigarette use (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.07, 2.14). Conclusions. COVID-19 stay-at-home directives present barriers to e-cigarette access and are associated with a decline in e-cigarette use among young people. Public Health Implications. Findings support the urgent implementation of interventions that reduce underage access to e-cigarettes to accelerate a downward trajectory of youth and young adult e-cigarette use. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print April 15, 2021: e1–e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306210 )

scholarly journals Attitudes and Perceptions Toward COVID-19 Digital Surveillance: Survey of Young Adults in the United States

10.2196/23000 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e23000
Author(s):  
Lauren Maytin ◽  
Jason Maytin ◽  
Priya Agarwal ◽  
Anna Krenitsky ◽  
JoAnn Krenitsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Digital Surveillance

Background COVID-19 is an international health crisis of particular concern in the United States, which saw surges of infections with the lifting of lockdowns and relaxed social distancing. Young adults have proven to be a critical factor for COVID-19 transmission and are an important target of the efforts to contain the pandemic. Scalable digital public health technologies could be deployed to reduce COVID-19 transmission, but their use depends on the willingness of young adults to participate in surveillance. Objective The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes of young adults regarding COVID-19 digital surveillance, including which aspects they would accept and which they would not, as well as to determine factors that may be associated with their willingness to participate in digital surveillance. Methods We conducted an anonymous online survey of young adults aged 18-24 years throughout the United States in June 2020. The questionnaire contained predominantly closed-ended response options with one open-ended question. Descriptive statistics were applied to the data. Results Of 513 young adult respondents, 383 (74.7%) agreed that COVID-19 represents a public health crisis. However, only 231 (45.1%) agreed to actively share their COVID-19 status or symptoms for monitoring and only 171 (33.4%) reported a willingness to allow access to their cell phone for passive location tracking or contact tracing. Conclusions Despite largely agreeing that COVID-19 represents a serious public health risk, the majority of young adults sampled were reluctant to participate in digital monitoring to manage the pandemic. This was true for both commonly used methods of public health surveillance (such as contact tracing) and novel methods designed to facilitate a return to normal (such as frequent symptom checking through digital apps). This is a potential obstacle to ongoing containment measures (many of which rely on widespread surveillance) and may reflect a need for greater education on the benefits of public health digital surveillance for young adults.

scholarly journals Attitudes and Perceptions Toward COVID-19 Digital Surveillance: Survey of Young Adults in the United States (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Maytin ◽  
Jason Maytin ◽  
Priya Agarwal ◽  
Anna Krenitsky ◽  
JoAnn Krenitsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Digital Surveillance

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is an international health crisis of particular concern in the United States, which saw surges of infections with the lifting of lockdowns and relaxed social distancing. Young adults have proven to be a critical factor for COVID-19 transmission and are an important target of the efforts to contain the pandemic. Scalable digital public health technologies could be deployed to reduce COVID-19 transmission, but their use depends on the willingness of young adults to participate in surveillance. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes of young adults regarding COVID-19 digital surveillance, including which aspects they would accept and which they would not, as well as to determine factors that may be associated with their willingness to participate in digital surveillance. METHODS We conducted an anonymous online survey of young adults aged 18-24 years throughout the United States in June 2020. The questionnaire contained predominantly closed-ended response options with one open-ended question. Descriptive statistics were applied to the data. RESULTS Of 513 young adult respondents, 383 (74.7%) agreed that COVID-19 represents a public health crisis. However, only 231 (45.1%) agreed to actively share their COVID-19 status or symptoms for monitoring and only 171 (33.4%) reported a willingness to allow access to their cell phone for passive location tracking or contact tracing. CONCLUSIONS Despite largely agreeing that COVID-19 represents a serious public health risk, the majority of young adults sampled were reluctant to participate in digital monitoring to manage the pandemic. This was true for both commonly used methods of public health surveillance (such as contact tracing) and novel methods designed to facilitate a return to normal (such as frequent symptom checking through digital apps). This is a potential obstacle to ongoing containment measures (many of which rely on widespread surveillance) and may reflect a need for greater education on the benefits of public health digital surveillance for young adults.

scholarly journals E-cigarette use and adverse respiratory symptoms among adolescents and Young adults in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 106766
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Chaffee ◽  
Jessica Barrington-Trimis ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Ran Wu ◽  
Rob McConnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Cigarette Use

Menthol Cigarettes, Tobacco Dependence, and Smoking Persistence: The Need to Examine Enhanced Cognitive Functioning as a Neuropsychological Mechanism

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy C Jao ◽  
Marcia M Tan ◽  
Phoenix A Matthews ◽  
Melissa A Simon ◽  
Robert Schnoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Basic Science ◽  
Tobacco Dependence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Menthol Cigarette ◽  
Menthol Cigarettes

Abstract Introduction Despite the overall decline in the prevalence of cigarette use in the United States, menthol cigarette use among smokers is rising, and evidence shows that it may lead to more detrimental effects on public health than regular cigarette use. One of the mechanisms by which nicotine sustains tobacco use and dependence is due to its cognitive enhancing properties, and basic science literature suggests that menthol may also enhance nicotine’s acute effect on cognition. Aims and Methods The purpose of this review is to suggest that the cognitive enhancing effects of menthol may be a potentially important neuropsychological mechanism that has yet to be examined. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of basic science studies examining neurobiological and cognitive effects of menthol and menthol cigarette smoking. We also review studies examining menthol essential oils among humans that indicate menthol alone has acute cognitive enhancing properties. Finally, we present factors influencing the rising prevalence of menthol cigarette use among smokers and the importance of this gap in the literature to improve public health and smoking cessation treatment. Conclusions Despite the compelling evidence for menthol’s acute cognitive enhancing and reinforcing effects, this mechanism for sustaining tobacco dependence and cigarette use has yet to be examined and validated among humans. On the basis of the basic science evidence for menthol’s neurobiological effects on nicotinic receptors and neurotransmitters, perhaps clarifying menthol’s effect on cognitive performance can help to elucidate the complicated literature examining menthol and tobacco dependence. Implications Menthol cigarette use has continued to be a topic of debate among researchers and policy makers, because of its implications for understanding menthol’s contribution to nicotine dependence and smoking persistence, as well as its continued use as a prevalent flavoring in tobacco and nicotine products in the United States and internationally. As international tobacco regulation policies have begun to target menthol cigarettes, research studies need to examine how flavoring additives, specifically menthol, may acutely influence neurobiological and cognitive functioning as a potential mechanism of sustained smoking behavior to develop more effective treatments.

scholarly journals Similarities and Differences in COVID-19 Awareness, Concern, and Symptoms by Race and Ethnicity in the United States: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeb Jones ◽  
Patrick S Sullivan ◽  
Travis H Sanchez ◽  
Jodie L Guest ◽  
Eric W Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Hispanic White

BACKGROUND Existing health disparities based on race and ethnicity in the United States are contributing to disparities in morbidity and mortality during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey of American adults to assess similarities and differences by race and ethnicity with respect to COVID-19 symptoms, estimates of the extent of the pandemic, knowledge of control measures, and stigma. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in COVID-19 symptoms, knowledge, and beliefs by race and ethnicity among adults in the United States. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey from March 27, 2020 through April 1, 2020. Participants were recruited on social media platforms and completed the survey on a secure web-based survey platform. We used chi-square tests to compare characteristics related to COVID-19 by race and ethnicity. Statistical tests were corrected using the Holm Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS A total of 1435 participants completed the survey; 52 (3.6%) were Asian, 158 (11.0%) were non-Hispanic Black, 548 (38.2%) were Hispanic, 587 (40.9%) were non-Hispanic White, and 90 (6.3%) identified as other or multiple races. Only one symptom (sore throat) was found to be different based on race and ethnicity (<i>P</i>=.003); this symptom was less frequently reported by Asian (3/52, 5.8%), non-Hispanic Black (9/158, 5.7%), and other/multiple race (8/90, 8.9%) participants compared to those who were Hispanic (99/548, 18.1%) or non-Hispanic White (95/587, 16.2%). Non-Hispanic White and Asian participants were more likely to estimate that the number of current cases was at least 100,000 (<i>P</i>=.004) and were more likely to answer all 14 COVID-19 knowledge scale questions correctly (Asian participants, 13/52, 25.0%; non-Hispanic White participants, 180/587, 30.7%) compared to Hispanic (108/548, 19.7%) and non-Hispanic Black (25/158, 15.8%) participants. CONCLUSIONS We observed differences with respect to knowledge of appropriate methods to prevent infection by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Deficits in knowledge of proper control methods may further exacerbate existing race/ethnicity disparities. Additional research is needed to identify trusted sources of information in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black communities and create effective messaging to disseminate correct COVID-19 prevention and treatment information.

scholarly journals Exploring the Role of Media Sources on COVID-19–Related Discrimination Experiences and Concerns Among Asian People in the United States: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Yu ◽  
Shuya Pan ◽  
Chia-chen Yang ◽  
Jiun-Yi Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Racial Biases ◽  
Asian People

BACKGROUND Media coverage and scholarly research have reported that Asian people who reside in the United States have been the targets of racially motivated incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the types of discrimination and worries experienced by Asians and Asian Americans living in the United States during the pandemic, as well as factors that were associated with everyday discrimination experience and concerns about future discrimination that the Asian community may face. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. A total of 235 people who identified themselves as Asian or Asian American and resided in the United States completed the questionnaire. RESULTS Our study suggested that up to a third of Asians surveyed had experienced some type of discrimination. Pooling the responses “very often,” “often,” and “sometimes,” the percentages for each experienced discrimination type ranged between 14%-34%. In total, 49%-58% of respondents expressed concerns about discrimination in the future. The most frequently experienced discrimination types, as indicated by responses “very often” and “often,” were “people act as if they think you are dangerous” (25/235, 11%) and “being treated with less courtesy or respect” (24/235, 10%). About 14% (32/235) of individuals reported very often, often, or sometimes being threatened or harassed. In addition, social media use was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing discrimination (β=.18, <i>P</i>=.01) and having concerns about future episodes of discrimination the community may face (β=.20, <i>P</i>=.005). Use of print media was also positively associated with experiencing discrimination (β=.31, <i>P</i>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS Our study provided important empirical evidence regarding the various types of discrimination Asians residing in the United States experienced or worried about during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationship between media sources and the perception of racial biases in this group was also identified. We noted the role of social media in reinforcing the perception of discrimination experience and concerns about future discrimination among Asians during this outbreak. Our results indicate several practical implications for public health agencies. To reduce discrimination against Asians during the pandemic, official sources and public health professionals should be cognizant of the possible impacts of stigmatizing cues in media reports on activating racial biases. Furthermore, Asians or Asian Americans could also be informed that using social media to obtain COVID-19 information is associated with an increase in concerns about future discrimination, and thus they may consider approaching this media source with caution.

scholarly journals 2499. Perceptions of and Preferences for Oral or Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Treatment Regimens in the United States and Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S866-S867
Author(s):  
Cindy Garris ◽  
Sebastian Heidenreich ◽  
Erin Arthurs ◽  
Frank Spinelli ◽  
Katelyn Cutts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physician Satisfaction ◽  
Treatment Preferences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pilot Survey ◽  
Dosing Frequency ◽  
Long Acting

Abstract Background Antiretroviral treatment (ART) for patients living with HIV (PLHIV) has improved greatly, however, challenges with daily oral dosing remain. New ART options with reduced dosing frequency and innovative delivery methods may help address these challenges. This study assesses patient and physician satisfaction with current treatments and preferences for switching to a monthly or every other month long-acting injectable (LAI) ART. Methods This is a cross-sectional online survey of PLHIV and physicians treating PLHIV in United States and Canada. A literature review, clinical expert input, and qualitative and quantitative pilots informed survey design. Eligible PLHIV were on ART for ≥ 6 months and virally suppressed (self-reported). Survey questions for patients evaluate satisfaction and adherence to current ART. Treatment preferences are assessed using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), where respondents choose between staying on current ART, switching to another oral ART or switching to a LAI ART. DCE treatment attributes include dosing frequency, side effects, forgivability, food/mealtime restrictions, and mode of administration. Pilot data for US patients is included here; the main survey will include approximately 550 patients and 450 physicians. Results Of 51 PLHIV completing the pilot survey, 80% were male, mean age was 54 years, and 63% were on ART for ≥10 years. Switching ART was common, with 55% reporting changing their ART ≥ 3 times. Just under half of patients (47%) were not totally satisfied with their current ART. Most common reasons for dissatisfaction included daily reminder of having HIV (31%) and having to take medicine every day (28%). Just over a quarter of patients (28%) reported forgetting to take their ART in the prior month. Across all DCE choices, patients preferred to remain on their current treatment 47% of the time, while 45% of the time patients preferred switching to the LAI, and for the remaining 8%, patients chose switching to another oral ART regimen. Conclusion Despite advances in ART, treatment challenges remain. Among the treatment-experienced PLHIV in this pilot survey, over half of their choices resulted in switching to an alternative regimen, and when opting to switch, most patients preferred the long-acting injectable treatment regimen. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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