Historique
Article de Périodique
The transition from cigarette smoking to the exclusive or partial use of e-cigarettes: A multi-stage mixed methods study among French university students (2025)
Auteur(s) :
KINOUANI, S. ;
DA CRUZ, H. ;
SIMON, M. ;
ABRAHAM, M. ;
PERRET, G. ;
LANGLOIS, E. ;
TZOURIO, C.
Année
2025
Page(s) :
art. 108205
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Tabac / Tobacco / e-cigarette
Discipline :
EPI (Epidémiologie / Epidemiology)
Thésaurus géographique
FRANCE
Thésaurus mots-clés
MILIEU ETUDIANT
;
JEUNE ADULTE
;
ETUDE TRANSVERSALE
;
ETUDE QUALITATIVE
;
TABAC
;
E-CIGARETTE
;
TRAJECTOIRE
;
EXPERIMENTATION
;
USAGE REGULIER
;
FUMEUR
;
ANCIEN FUMEUR
;
PREVALENCE
Résumé :
Background: Few studies have estimated the frequency of e-cigarette use by smoking status among French young adults, and how those who smoke tobacco start and continue to use e-cigarettes. Our aim was to describe e-cigarette use among students who smoked tobacco.
Methods: A multi-stage, mixed methods study was conducted at the University of Bordeaux between September 2018 and March 2020. The study consisted of three different sub-studies: 1) a cross-sectional study across five campuses (n = 211), 2) a qualitative study (n = 30), and 3) an online cross-sectional study (n = 415). These were combined to form an explanatory sequential design (stage 1) and then a convergent parallel design (stage 2).
Results: Although 41% of students had tried e-cigarettes at least once in their lifetime, only 7% were current users. Both e-cigarette experimentation and current use (i.e. occasional or daily use) were mainly found among current and former smokers. Student smokers started using e-cigarettes out of curiosity, with other vapers. Two main factors were identified as intervening in the transition from smoking to sustained vaping: the perception of smoking as problematic and personal commitment to e-cigarette use (i.e. by buying their own device, acquiring technical skills, and increasing the frequency of use). Among current vapers, exclusive vapers and dual users differed in terms of their smoking goals, the role they attributed to e-cigarettes, their identity development and their perceived social or personal benefits.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the complexity of the decision-making process for transitioning from smoking to sustained vaping among university students. This required a socially supportive environment and some intrinsic factors, of which the problematization of smoking and personal commitment to vaping were key factors. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
41% of students have tried e-cigarettes, but only 7% currently use them.
Current vapers were mainly current or former smokers.
Their switch from smoking to vaping could be explained by several factors.
Two main factors were the problematization of smoking and the commitment to vaping.
Methods: A multi-stage, mixed methods study was conducted at the University of Bordeaux between September 2018 and March 2020. The study consisted of three different sub-studies: 1) a cross-sectional study across five campuses (n = 211), 2) a qualitative study (n = 30), and 3) an online cross-sectional study (n = 415). These were combined to form an explanatory sequential design (stage 1) and then a convergent parallel design (stage 2).
Results: Although 41% of students had tried e-cigarettes at least once in their lifetime, only 7% were current users. Both e-cigarette experimentation and current use (i.e. occasional or daily use) were mainly found among current and former smokers. Student smokers started using e-cigarettes out of curiosity, with other vapers. Two main factors were identified as intervening in the transition from smoking to sustained vaping: the perception of smoking as problematic and personal commitment to e-cigarette use (i.e. by buying their own device, acquiring technical skills, and increasing the frequency of use). Among current vapers, exclusive vapers and dual users differed in terms of their smoking goals, the role they attributed to e-cigarettes, their identity development and their perceived social or personal benefits.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the complexity of the decision-making process for transitioning from smoking to sustained vaping among university students. This required a socially supportive environment and some intrinsic factors, of which the problematization of smoking and personal commitment to vaping were key factors. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
41% of students have tried e-cigarettes, but only 7% currently use them.
Current vapers were mainly current or former smokers.
Their switch from smoking to vaping could be explained by several factors.
Two main factors were the problematization of smoking and the commitment to vaping.
Affiliation :
University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team HEALTHY, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
Department of General Practice, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Emile Durkheim Center, UMR 5116, Bordeaux, France
Department of General Practice, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Emile Durkheim Center, UMR 5116, Bordeaux, France