Association of the Use of a Heated Tobacco Product with Perceived Stress, Physical Activity, and Internet Use in Korean Adolescents: A 2018 National Survey.

Ahnna Lee,Hanul Park,Kang-Sook Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph16060965

Abstract

The awareness and use of the recently introduced heated product in the global tobacco market is rapidly increasing. Few studies have investigated the association of this product’s use with health-related factors. To examine the association of the heated tobacco product (HTP)’s use with perceived stress, physical activity, and internet use, we analyzed data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey using multinomial logistic regression models. The participants included 60,040 students from middle school and high school. There were significant associations between high perceived stress and cigarette use only, dual use of cigarette and e-cigarette, triple use of cigarette, e-cigarette, and HTP; a negative association between HTP’s use and perceived stress; positive association between physical activity and tobacco use; and not using the internet significantly increased the odds of use of all types of tobacco products. A smoking prevention program, tailored to meet the needs of different types of tobacco product users, is recommended. A program aimed at not only increasing awareness of perceived risk but also decreasing perceived benefits of risky behaviors, should also be considered. Further research using a longitudinal design to test the causal relationship of tobacco product use with perceived stress, physical activity, and internet use is warranted.

Highlights

Tobacco use has been a major global public health concern affecting both smokers and non-smokers [1]
The prevalence of cigarette smoking in Korean adolescents appears to be steadily decreasing since 2007, the rate of adolescent lifetime cigarette smoking has slightly increased from 13.7% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2018 [2]
Using the Korean national representative data, the main objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to assess the current status of the use of tobacco products, including heated tobacco product (HTP), in Korean adolescents; and (2) to examine whether the use of HTP is associated with perceived stress, physical activity, and internet use

Summary

Introduction

Tobacco use has been a major global public health concern affecting both smokers and non-smokers [1]. The prevalence of cigarette smoking in Korean adolescents appears to be steadily decreasing since 2007, the rate of adolescent lifetime cigarette smoking has slightly increased from 13.7% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2018 [2]. The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has been one of the most important public health concerns among the youth according to reports of the US Surgeon General [3]. In Korea, there was a rapid increase of approximately twentyfold in e-cigarette use from 0.5% in 2008 to 10.1% in 2015 [4,5]. Adolescence is a transition period associated with increased risk-taking and novelty-seeking behavioral changes. Nearly 88% first tried smoking by the age of 18 [6]

Objectives

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion