The use of tobacco containing products by adolescents and adults in the United States results in thousands of preventable deaths each year, in addition to burdening the healthcare system with billions of dollars in expenses. While traditional forms of tobacco have decreased in popularity, other products like electronic cigarettes have seen increases in sales and usage across the country. The damaging health effects of tobacco containing products are well-established, but emerging research also confirms the harm-containing potential that electronic nicotine delivery systems may possess due to the chemical cocktails present in their respective vaporized solutions. This study aims to characterize various forms of tobacco and electronic cigarette use in athletes and fraternity/sorority-associated college students.
The study’s analytic sample was retrieved from a large national study of undergraduate student health titled the National College Health Assessment-II Survey (NCHA-II). A total of 47,821 participant responses were used from the NCHA-II, with graduate student and non-degree-seeking student data omitted from the analysis (n=47,821). The following measures from the NCHA-II were included in the study: past 30-day cigarette, waterpipe, or electronic cigarette use; fraternity/sorority membership; and past-year organized sports participation. The data was analyzed using a combination of descriptive statistics, chi-square comparisons testing, and independent adjusted multivariate logistic regressions.
Results of the study found 12.4% of the sample to be Greek-affiliated, and approximately 30% of the sample participate in some form of organized athletics, whether it be varsity, club, or intramural level. Fraternity/sorority-associated students reported significantly higher levels of all forms of tobacco and nicotine containing products measured in the study when compared to non-Greek-affiliated students. Varsity athletes, on the other hand, reported the lowest rates of cigarette and waterpipe use among the student demographics present in the study.
Takeaway: students affiliated with fraternities/sororities may be placed at an elevated risk for use of cigarettes, waterpipe tobacco, and electronic cigarettes. Varsity athletes may be considered at lower risk for these practices, with the exception of electronic cigarette use.