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theses

Background: E-cigarette use is on the rise among youth nationally, as well as in New Jersey. Little is known about how e-cigarette availability varies across communities and how exposure to e-cigarette advertising may influence use among youth. Objectives: This dissertation aims to: 1) Document the relationship between community demographics and the presence of vape shops in New Jersey, 2) characterize the e-cigarette retail environment around 41 New Jersey high schools, and 3) examine associations between e-cigarette promotion at the point-of-sale and vaping behaviors among high school students participating in the 2014 New Jersey Youth Tobacco Survey (NJYTS). Methods: A combination of geographic information systems (GIS), census tract demographic data, store audits, and youth survey data from the 2014 NJYTS were used to describe community correlates of e-cigarette retail and its associations with vaping behaviors among youth. Results: E-cigarettes were significantly less likely to be available and advertised in communities with a large proportion of black residents. In predominantly white neighborhoods, e-cigarettes were advertised proportionally more than other tobacco products. Although tobacco use history is the strongest predictor of e-cigarette use among students, the e-cigarette retail environment near schools was independently associated with both ever and current use. Conclusions: The e-cigarette industry currently faces no federal marketing restrictions. This dissertation documented a high prevalence of point-of-sale promotions in areas where youth spend time and revealed strong associations between the local tobacco retail environment and e-cigarette use. Policies that make e-cigarettes less available and less appealing to youth may slow rates of uptake and ultimately benefit public health.

ETD_7125

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Daniel Philip Downs Giovenco

doi:10.7282/T3GH9M3T

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.