Kendria Knox
Dr. Hawkins
9 March 2018
Electronic Cigarettes Health Needs Assessment-HSC 489
Health Problem
The target focus for this health needs assessment is the use of Electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes are also know as e-cigarettes, hookahs, vapes, and etc [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017]. E-cigarettes are battery operated cigarets that hold a liquid of choice that may contain tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017]. Most of all the e-cigarettes contain nicotine in them, including those that tend to claim they are free of nicotine. (American Lung Association, 2018). E-cigarettes have different styles and shapes such as: the form of regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes and also some may look like pens, USB sticks, or other items that are used daily. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017].
There has been a huge increase in people using the e-cigarette in the most recent years (American Lung Association, 2018). One of the primary risk factors that is connected with this unhealthy behavior include the lack of proper education on the harmful effects of using this devise. Another risk factor is the social acceptance that today’s society has on this behavior. The factors that contribute to this unhealthy behavior includes, advertisements, unknown health risk, peer use, family patterns, and the fact that the e-cigarettes appear more user friendly due to improved flavoring.
The behavior can be reduced by bringing awareness to the negative affects and health risks that are connected to using e-cigarettes. In order to prevent a relapse in this behavior it is important the user is provided with various prevention strategies to decrease the usage.
Scope
There has been a great increase in the use of the e-cigarette in recent years. They have particularly been used by kids and teenagers, as well as other smokers who are looking for an alternative to the traditional cigarettes. (American Lung Association, 2018). Due to there being many different flavoring, this method of smoking tobacco is more prevalent among the youth and young adults. 81% of youth and 86% of young adult tobacco product was flavored (Villanti, 2017). Flavored tobacco products tend to be starter products of regular tobacco use that mainly attracts the younger users (Villanti, 2017).
Advertisement is geared toward the younger generation. Exposure e-cigarette advertisements on television among the youth has increased by 256% from 2011 to 2013. Exposure among young adults has increased 321% over this same period of time (Tan, 2015). E-cigarette companies advertise their products to a broad audience of 24 million youth. (Duke, 2014). A large advertising campaign on national cable networks caused the increase in youth and young adult television exposure in 2011-2013. (Duke, 2014). More than 76% of all youth e-cigarette advertising exposure occurred on cable networks and was driven primarily by an advertising campaign for 1 e-cigarette brand. (Duke, 2014).
Determinants and Contributing Factors
The most common determinants and risk factors for the use of electronic cigarettes include, the lack of education and the social acceptance for vaping instead of the tradition tobacco use [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017]. These risk factors are the leading cause for the use of the e-cigarettes among the youth and young adults.
The direct contributions factors that stem from the lack of proper eduction are the advertisements that are given to the public and a lack of knowledge about the health risks that are due to improper knowledge about the harmful effects that are connected to smoking e-cigarettes (Duke, 2014). The advertisements give the e-cigarettes a positive look and target younger ager groups by putting those ads on social media and television. Advertisements also paint a picture that using e-cigarettes if more healthier than the tradition tobacco. The unknown health risk stem from a lack of awareness and no prevention strategies.
The direct contributing factors connected to social acceptance is peer use and family patterns. Peer pressure indirectly contributes to the risk of this behavior, because you are more likely to do what you see others are doing. Also, if there is a person(s) in the family that smoke, or if there are no restriction in the household, then a person is more likely to gain the same unhealthy behavior.
Goal: To Increase knowledge about e-cigarettes among SFASU students.
Objectives:
Outcome Objective: By the end of 2018, 80% of SFASU students will attend an education seminar about e-cigarettes and will be aware of the health risk.
Determinant or Contributing Factor: The lack of knowledge about the health risks for using e-cigarettes.
Impact objective: By the end of 2018, 75% of SFASU students will gain prevention and cessation tactics of the use of e-cigarettes.
Process Objective: By the end of December 2018, provide 5 health risk programs on the SFA campus in Nacogdoches community.
References
American Lung Association. (2018). Myths and Facts About E-cigarettes. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/myths-and-facts-about-e- cigs.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, January 31). E-Cigarettes and Young People: A Public Health Concern. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/ features/ecigarettes-young-people/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, November 06). Smoking & Tobacco Use. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e- cigarettes/index.htm
Duke, J. C., Lee, Y. O., Kim, A. E., Watson, K. A., Arnold, K. Y., Nonnemaker, J. M., & Porter, L. (2014). Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Television Advertisements Among Youth and Young Adults. Pediatrics, 134(1).
Tan, A. S., Lee, C., & Bigman, C. A. (2015). Public support for selected e-cigarette regulations and associations with overall information exposure and contradictory information exposure about e-cigarettes: Findings from a national survey of U.S. adults. Preventive Medicine, 81, 268-274.
Villanti, A. C., Johnson, A. L., Ambrose, B. K., Cummings, K. M., Stanton, C. A., Rose, S. W., . . . Hyland, A. (2017). Flavored Tobacco Product Use in Youth and Adults: Findings From the First Wave of the PATH Study (2013–2014). American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(2), 139-151.
Wasowicz, A., Feleszko, W., & Goniewicz, M. L. (2015). E-Cigarette use among children and young people: the need for regulation. Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 9(5), 507-509.
Zhu, S., Sun, J. Y., Bonnevie, E., Cummins, S. E., Gamst, A., Yin, L., & Lee, M. (2014). Four hundred and sixty brands of e-cigarettes and counting: implications for product regulation. Tobacco Control, 23(Suppl 3), Iii3-Iii9.