The relationships between sensation seeking and a spectrum of e-cigarette use behaviors: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses specific to Texas adolescents

Introduction: Sensation seeking is strongly associated with cigarette use in adolescents. However, few studies have investigated its relationship with adolescent e-cigarette use. This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sensation seeking and a variety of e-cigarette use behaviors among Texas adolescents. Methods: This study utilized two waves of data collected 6 months apart through the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS) in 2014-2015 (n = 2,488/N = 461,069). TATAMS employs a complex probability-sampling design and is representative of students in 6th, 8th and 10th grades from five counties surrounding the four largest cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Austin). Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sensation seeking and susceptibility to e-cigarette use, ever e-cigarette use, and current (past 30 day) e-cigarette use. Results: In the cross-sectional analyses, higher mean sensation seeking scores were associated with higher odds of both susceptibility to e-cigarette use and ever e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.47; AOR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.43, respectively). For the longitudinal analyses, only the association between higher mean sensation seeking scores and transition to ever e-cigarette use remained statistically significant (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.01, 2.08). There were no significant associations between sensation seeking and current e-cigarette use in either the cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. Conclusions: Higher sensation seeking scores were consistently and significantly related to experimentation with e-cigarette use among Texas adolescents. Future interventions (e.g., communication campaigns) should target high sensation seeking adolescents to reduce initiation of e-cigarette use among this population.