Longitudinal Study Of Tobacco Use Research Articles

A prospective longitudinal study of tobacco use and tobacco use disorder in a homeless population.

Little is known about smoking habits and disorders among homeless populations. Previous research has not generally differentiated tobacco use from tobacco use disorders in this population. Known associations of tobacco use and morbidity and mortality in general populations may also apply to homeless populations. A 2-year longitudinal prospective study of 255 homeless individuals examined tobacco use and tobacco use disorders in association with other psychiatric disorders and service use and homeless outcomes. The majority of the sample used tobacco daily and had a tobacco use disorder, characteristics that changed little over the 2-year follow-up period. Tobacco use disorder was associated with greater substance, medical, and psychiatric service use during the 2 follow-up years. However, tobacco use was not associated with change in housing status over the 2-year follow-up period. Cessation of tobacco use was associated with cessation of alcohol use. Smoking is a major health issue for homeless populations. This study found that smoking status was unassociated with the achievement of stable housing. In addition, homeless people who smoke were found to be more likely to use health care services, indicating a potential source of intervention for smoking cessation.

Post-legalization changes in marijuana use in a sample of young California adults

IntroductionIncreasing marijuana use among young adults is a concern due to substantial acute and chronic health risks. More widespread use of marijuana may also lead to increased use of nicotine and tobacco products. California legalized commercial sales of marijuana for recreational use as of January 2018. To our knowledge no studies to date have examined subsequent changes in marijuana use. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that marijuana use frequency increased following legalization of recreational sales. We also hypothesized that increased marijuana frequency would predict greater frequency of nicotine/tobacco consumption. MethodsThe study was a secondary analysis of a longitudinal study of tobacco use among non-daily cigarette smokers. Participants were 563 young adults (aged 18–24) enrolled in 2015–16 and followed quarterly for 3 years. ResultsA piecewise multilevel regression model indicated that marijuana use frequency did not change over time, including following legalization. More frequent use was associated with younger age and identifying as white (ps < 0.001, which did not change after legalization. Marijuana frequency was moderated by sex (p < .001), with women reporting increasing and men decreasing use over time. It was also associated with tobacco use, and particularly with e-cigarette use following legalization (ps < 0.05). ConclusionsFindings suggest legalization of recreational marijuana sales had a negligible overall impact on days of use among young adults, but may have prompted increased interest in marijuana among some, particularly women and e-cigarette users. The continuously evolving landscape around these products indicates that ongoing surveillance is critical.

A prospective study of the association between rate of nicotine metabolism and alcohol use in tobacco users in the United States

BackgroundRate of nicotine metabolism has been identified as a biochemical risk factor for nicotine use and dependence; however, its role in alcohol consumption and related outcomes is not well understood. The current research examined nicotine metabolism rate as a risk factor for alcohol use among current tobacco users. We also examined sex differences in these associations. MethodData were taken from Waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a national longitudinal study of tobacco use and associated health outcomes. The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) was calculated as the ratio of trans-3’ hydroxycotinine to cotinine in urine samples provided at wave 1. Alcohol use outcomes included past 30-day NIAAA-defined hazardous drinking status, total drinks, and alcohol-related consequences. All analyses controlled for alcohol use at Wave 1. ResultsNMR at Wave 1 predicted increased odds of meeting hazardous drinking criteria, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.14, 95 % CI = 1.06; 1.23, p = 0.001, greater total alcohol consumption amount, adjusted rate ratio (aRR) = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.12; 1.30, p < 0.001, and more alcohol consequences, aRR = 1.07, 95 % CI = 1.01; 1.13, p = 0.018, at wave 2. No significant sex differences were identified. NMR remained a significant predictor of alcohol use in models controlling for severity of nicotine exposure in cigarette smokers. ConclusionsNMR may be a shared risk factor for harmful nicotine and alcohol use that contributes to their co-occurrence.

Urinary Biomarkers of Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Wave 1 (2013-2014).

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous in the environment. In the United States (U.S.), tobacco smoke is the major non-occupational source of exposure to many harmful VOCs. Exposure to VOCs can be assessed by measuring their urinary metabolites (VOCMs). The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study is a U.S. national longitudinal study of tobacco use in the adult and youth civilian non-institutionalized population. We measured 20 VOCMs in urine specimens from a subsample of adults in Wave 1 (W1) (2013–2014) to characterize VOC exposures among tobacco product users and non-users. We calculated weighted geometric means (GMs) and percentiles of each VOCM for exclusive combustible product users (smokers), exclusive electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users, exclusive smokeless product users, and tobacco product never users. We produced linear regression models for six VOCMs with sex, age, race, and tobacco user group as predictor variables. Creatinine-ratioed levels of VOCMs from exposure to acrolein, crotonaldehyde, isoprene, acrylonitrile, and 1,3-butadiene were significantly higher in smokers than in never users. Small differences of VOCM levels among exclusive e-cigarette users and smokeless users were observed when compared to never users. Smokers showed higher VOCM concentrations than e-cigarette, smokeless, and never users. Urinary VOC metabolites are useful biomarkers of exposure to harmful VOCs.

Associations Between Self-Reported and Biological Measures of Nicotine Consumption Among Young Adult Nondaily Cigarette Smokers.

Intermittent, dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes is a common pattern among youth and young adults. However, little is known about the validity of self-report measures of nicotine consumption in these populations. The goal of the present study was to examine associations between self-reported frequency of cigarette and e-cigarette use and nicotine levels in hair samples at two assessments 1 year apart. Participants (n = 90; 65% female) were 19- to 25-year-old intermittent cigarette smokers recruited from the community for a longitudinal study of tobacco use. They submitted hair samples via mail, 1 and 2 years after enrollment in the parent study. Findings indicated that days of use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the past 30 days independently predicted hair nicotine in the full sample, and when examining only timepoints at which any cigarette use was reported. Timepoints when any e-cigarette use was reported, hair nicotine was positively associated with e-cigarette but not cigarette frequency. Data suggest that self-report measures are valid methods of assessing intermittent use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Findings also suggest that dual users may tend to consume more nicotine and thus be at greater risk for dependence than single product users. These results are among the first to indicate that hair analysis can be used to detect intermittent nicotine exposure via both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. (Am J Addict 2020;29:471-475).

A longitudinal study of risk perceptions and e-cigarette initiation among college students: Interactions with smoking status

BackgroundRecent data suggest that lower perceived risks of e-cigarettes are associated with e-cigarette use in young adults; however, the temporality of this relationship is not well-understood. We explore how perceptions of harmfulness and addictiveness of e-cigarettes influence e-cigarette initiation, and specifically whether this association varies by cigarette smoking status, in a longitudinal study of tobacco use on college campuses. MethodsData are from a 5-wave 24-college study in Texas. Only students who reported never using e-cigarettes at wave 1 were included (n = 2565). Multilevel discrete-time hazard models, accounting for school clustering, were used. The dependent variable, ever e-cigarette use, was assessed at each wave. Both time-varying (e-cigarette perceptions of harmfulness and addictiveness, age, use of cigarettes, use of other tobacco products, and use of other substances) and time-invariant demographic covariates were included. Two-way interactions between each e-cigarette perception variable and current conventional cigarette use were tested to determine if the hypothesized relationship differed among smokers and non-smokers. Results21% of all never e-cigarette users at baseline had initiated e-cigarette ever use by wave 5. Significant two-way interactions qualified the relationship between risk perceptions and e-cigarette initiation. Specifically, perceptions of a lower degree of harmfulness (OR = 1.13, p = .047) and addictiveness (OR = 1.34, p < .001) of e-cigarettes predicted initiation among non-smokers, but not among current smokers. ConclusionPerceiving a lower degree of risk of e-cigarettes contributes to subsequent e-cigarette initiation among non-smokers, but not among current smokers. Findingshave implications for prevention campaigns focusing on the potential harm of e-cigarettes for non-smoking college students.

Do personality traits related to affect regulation predict other tobacco product use among young adult non-daily smokers?

IntroductionUnderstanding factors that influence non-cigarette tobacco use is important given these products' prevalence and health risks. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that personality traits related to affect regulation would be associated with greater frequency of other tobacco product (OTP) use in a sample of young adult non-daily smokers. MethodsParticipants (n=518, 51% male) aged 18–24 were non-daily cigarette smokers recruited from the community for a longitudinal study of tobacco use. Personality characteristics (impulsivity, anhedonia, and negative affectivity) were measured at baseline, and participants reported recent tobacco use at baseline and 3, 6, and 9months later. Assessments were conducted online or via mobile phone. ResultsAcross the 4 assessments, 33–52% of participants reported recent OTP use, with frequency of use decreasing over time. Longitudinal negative binomial regression models indicated that greater sensation seeking and lack of premeditation were associated with more frequent OTP use (ps<0.05). These effects were consistent over time. ConclusionsFindings suggest that young adult non-daily cigarette smokers with greater propensity for immediately rewarding behaviors may use OTPs more frequently. Young, non-daily cigarette smokers with high levels of sensation seeking and/or lack of premeditation may be at increased risk for harms related to OTP use and may benefit from prevention and cessation strategies that specifically address affect.

E-cigarette use, perceptions, and cigarette smoking intentions in a community sample of young adult nondaily cigarette smokers.

E-cigarettes have been suggested as a strategy for reducing harm from cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes could be a less-harmful alternative to cigarettes for those trying to quit, there may also be costs that outweigh any benefits of reduction. The purpose of the present study was to prospectively investigate perceptions of e-cigarettes, cigarette smoking intentions, and their associations with e-cigarette use over time. Community participants (N = 348, 57% male) aged 18 to 24 years were recruited for a longitudinal study of tobacco use. Inclusion criteria included nondaily cigarette smoking for ≥ 6 months with no history of daily smoking. Participants reported e-cigarette use over the past 14 days at baseline, and for the past 9 days at 3, 6, and 9 months. Assessments were completed online or via mobile phone. Across the 4 assessments, 22% to 33% of participants reported recent e-cigarette use. Intent to quit smoking cigarettes and intent to maintain smoking were unrelated to e-cigarette frequency. E-cigarette frequency was positively associated with perceiving e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes and more positive e-cigarette expectancies (ps < .05). E-cigarette use was also more frequent among those who smoked cigarettes frequently and who used e-cigarettes to circumvent cigarette bans more often (ps < .05). The combination of these findings suggests that, at least among nondaily smoking young adults, other factors may influence frequency of e-cigarette use more than harm reduction. Findings instead seem consistent with the hypothesis that e-cigarettes are more often used to complement ongoing cigarette smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record

Tobacco-Product Use by Adults and Youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014

BackgroundNoncigarette tobacco products are evolving rapidly, with increasing popularity in the United States.MethodsWe present prevalence estimates for 12 types of tobacco products, using data from 45,971 adult and youth participants (≥12 years of age) from Wave 1 (September 2013 through December 2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a large, nationally representative, longitudinal study of tobacco use and health in the United States. Participants were asked about their use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah, snus pouches, other smokeless tobacco, dissolvable tobacco, bidis, and kreteks. Estimates of the prevalence of use for each product were determined according to use category (e.g., current use or use in the previous 30 days) and demographic subgroup, and the prevalence of multiple-product use was explored.ResultsMore than a quarter (27.6%) of adults were current users of at least one type of tobacco product in 2013 and 2014, although the prevalence varied depending on use category. A total of 8.9% of youths had used a tobacco product in the previous 30 days; 1.6% of youths were daily users. Approximately 40% of tobacco users, adults and youths alike, used multiple tobacco products; cigarettes plus e-cigarettes was the most common combination. Young adults (18 to 24 years of age), male adults and youths, members of racial minorities, and members of sexual minorities generally had higher use of tobacco than their counterparts.ConclusionsDuring this study, 28% of U.S. adults were current users of tobacco, and 9% of youths had used tobacco in the previous 30 days. Use of multiple products was common among tobacco users. These findings will serve as baseline data to examine between-person differences and within-person changes over time in the use of tobacco products. (Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Food and Drug Administration.)

Tobacco Use Among Adults Initiating Treatment for HIV Infection in Rural Uganda

We conducted a longitudinal study of tobacco use among adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Mbarara, Uganda where 11 % of men and 3 % of women use tobacco according to the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey. In a prospective cohort, self-reported tobacco use was assessed before starting ART and reassessed every 3-4 months. Plasma cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, was measured in a subset of adults pre-ART to verify self-report. Among 496 subjects, 50 (10 %) reported current tobacco use (20 % of men, 6 % of women). Most (53 %) adults with elevated cotinine levels (>15 ng/mL) reported no tobacco use. By 6 months after ART initiation, 33 % of tobacco users had quit (95 % CI 20-46 %). By 5 years, 64 % quit (95 % CI 47-77 %). Self-reported tobacco use among rural Ugandans starting ART was twice as common as among the local background population and use may be underreported. ART initiation could be an opportunity for tobacco cessation interventions.

Cigarette Smoking Initiation During College Predicts Future Alcohol Involvement: A Matched-Samples Study

Little is known about the relationship between cigarette smoking initiation and subsequent alcohol involvement. To address this question, the present study compared alcohol use between students who initiated smoking during college and a matched sample of never-smoking students. We hypothesized greater increases in alcohol involvement among smoking initiators, mediated by exposure to cigarette use situations. Included in the present study were 104 Chinese American and Korean American undergraduates who at baseline (freshman year) reported never having smoked a cigarette. Subjects were drawn from 433 participants in a naturalistic longitudinal study of tobacco use who were assessed annually each year in college. Cigarette smoking status was assessed annually as part of a structured interview. Initiators and never-smokers were matched on gender, ethnicity, baseline alcohol use, parental smoking status, and behavioral undercontrol. As predicted, participants who initiated smoking during college reported significantly greater increases in the number of past-30-day total drinks consumed (p < .001) and reported greater prevalence of heavy drinking episodes (p < .05). The effect of smoking initiation on the change in the number of past-30-day drinks at the final assessment was partially mediated by exposure to smoking (p < .05). Exploratory analyses indicated that greater recent smoking significantly predicted increased alcohol consumption over and above the effect of exposure. Students who initiate smoking during college appear at risk for increased alcohol involvement. Part of this risk is explained by environmental contextual factors, specifically exposure to situations involving other smokers that also may result in greater exposure to alcohol use.

A longitudinal study of tobacco use among American Indian and Alaska Native tribal college students

BackgroundAmerican Indians (AI) have the highest smoking rates of any ethnic group in the US (40.8%), followed most closely by African Americans (24.3%) and European Americans (23.6%). AI smokers also have more difficulty quitting smoking compared to other ethnic groups, evidenced by their significantly lower quit ratios, and are among the least successful in maintaining long term abstinence. While health disparities like these have existed for years among AI, the epidemiology of smoking and nicotine dependence has not been optimally described among this underserved population.Our overarching hypothesis is that the susceptibility of AI to cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence and its consequences has both an underlying nicotine metabolism component as well as psychosocial, cultural, and environment causes. We are well-positioned to explore this issue for the first time in this population. Our objective is to establish a cohort of AI tribal college/university students to determine the predictors of smoking initiation (non-use to experimentation), progression (experimentation to established use), and cessation (established use to cessation). Much of what is known about the process of smoking initiation and progression comes from quantitative studies with non-Native populations. Information related to smoking use among AI tribal college/university (TCU) students is entirely unknown and critically needs further investigation. This study will be the first of its kind among AI college students who are at the highest risk among all ethnic groups for tobacco dependence.Methods/designFirst year students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas will be recruited over four consecutive years and will be surveyed annually and repeatedly through year 5 of the study. We will use both longitudinal quantitative surveys and qualitative focus group methods to examine key measures and determinants of initiation and use among this high risk group.

A prospective study of cigarette smoking initiation during college: Chinese and Korean American students.

The present study was a prospective investigation of baseline influences on initial smoking and transition to established smoking among college students who had not smoked prior to college. Included were 267 participants in a longitudinal study of tobacco use. Students of Chinese (52%) or Korean (48%) descent were enrolled during their freshman year in college. Data for the present study were collected during four annual in-person interviews. (1) Initial use of a cigarette reflected having first smoked a cigarette (more than a puff) during college. (2) Established smoking was defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes. Over the course of the study, 25% of baseline never-smokers tried their first cigarette, and 9% became established smokers. Overall, men were significantly more likely to experiment and progress to established smoking. Baseline alcohol and drug use, behavioral undercontrol, and parental smoking predicted smoking experimentation but not established smoking. Students of Korean ethnicity were more likely to become established smokers. However, acculturation was not a significant predictor of experimentation or established smoking after accounting for the effects of other predictors. These findings suggest a need for efforts to prevent smoking uptake among Asian American college students.