Methods and Statistical Analyses in Studies of Motivation for E-Cigarette Use Among University Students: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Background Understanding the motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students is essential for developing and implementing effective interventions. Evaluating existing literature is necessary to identify methodological gaps and limitations and improve the quality of future research. Objective We aimed to evaluate the quality of the methods and statistical analyses and integrate evidence addressing motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students. Methods An integrative literature review was conducted by two researchers to identify and evaluate peer-reviewed, quantitative, and mixed methods research exploring motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students. A systematic analytic method of data reduction was used to identify alignment and divergence of the data, gaps in the literature, and methodological limitations. Results Fifteen quantitative studies and three mixed methods studies published between 2015-2020 were included. Most studies were cross-sectional, used convenience sampling, and lacked psychometric and assumptions testing. Half performed regression analyses, however, very few adhered to research and statistical reporting standards. Conclusions Current literature provides a foundation for developing and implementing interventions aimed to prevent e-cigarette use and encourage cessation. Future research should incorporate stronger sampling methods and research designs, as well as the use of rigorous statistical analyses in conjunction with thorough reporting. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1990332.