Vaping has become increasingly common among college students in the United States, prompting concerns about its potential impact on both health behaviors and mental well-being. Previous studies have shown that vaping is associated with harmful behaviors such as smoking, illicit drug use, and problematic alcohol consumption, both among adolescents and adults in the U.S. and other countries. However, there is limited research on the broader associations between vaping and other health behaviors and outcomes within the U.S. population, particularly among college students. This study seeks to explore the relationship between vaping and health behaviors, mental illness, academic performance, and body mass index (BMI) in a sample of U.S. undergraduate students.
The study employed a cross-sectional survey, targeting undergraduate students at a large university in the Northeastern United States. The survey gathered data from 1,775 participants on their socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors (including physical activity, diet, alcohol use, and sleep patterns), and mental health, using validated measures such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS4) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-7). Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations between vaping and these health behaviors, with gender accounted for as a covariate where relevant.
According to the study, 17.7% of participants reported having used e-cigarettes at least once in the past month. The proportion of male users (23.2%) was significantly higher than that of female users (14.5%). E-cigarette use was closely associated with higher alcohol consumption and fewer nights of restful sleep, while no significant association was found with physical activity or fruit and vegetable consumption. Students who smoked or engaged in binge drinking were more likely to use e-cigarettes, and female e-cigarette users reported higher levels of stress compared to non-users. Additionally, both male and female e-cigarette users exhibited higher levels of depressive symptoms than non-users. However, no significant differences were observed between e-cigarette users and non-users in terms of body mass index (BMI). These findings highlight that e-cigarette use is strongly associated with unhealthy behaviors like smoking, alcohol consumption, and binge drinking, and is linked to poorer mental health.
Takeaway: Vaping among U.S. college students is closely linked to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and binge drinking, and is associated with poorer mental health outcomes.