Summary
Summary: The study aims to explore the racial differences in the link between educational attainment and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Authors used the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data. This national survey was conducted in 2017 and included 2,277 American adults composed of 1,868 white and 409 black individuals. A study that uses California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data for 2014-15 was briefly referenced. Educational attainment was the independent variable. E-cigarette use (lifetime) was the dependent variables. Age and gender were the covariates. Race was the effect modifier.
Findings: In the overall sample, a higher level of education attainment was linked to lower odds of e-cigarette use. Race showed a significant interaction with educational attainment on the outcome, suggesting a weaker negative association between high educational attainment and e-cigarette use for blacks than whites. In race-stratified logistic regression models, high educational attainment was inversely associated with risk of e-cigarette use for whites but not blacks.
Publication Authors:
- Shervin Assari
- Ritesh Mistry
- Mohsen Bazargan