Risk for Vaping Up for Physically Active High School Students

THURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Physically active high school students have an increased relative risk for using electronic vapor products (EVP), according to a study published online July 1 in Tobacco Use Insights.

Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, Ph.D., from the University of Georgia in Athens, and colleagues examined self-reported EVP and cigarette use from the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0 data from 2018 for 362,933 students. The relative risks for the type of product used relative to no use were estimated by levels of physical activity.

The researchers found that nearly 7 percent of those surveyed used EVP at least once in the past 30 days. Compared with those who were physically active no more than one day/week, those who were physically active two to three and four to five days/week had 11 and 23 percent higher relative risks, respectively, of being an EVP-only user.

“Physically active students who are meeting the guidelines for physical activity being at higher risk of vape use brings up a concern of health belief and engagement in risky behaviors,” Thapa said in a statement. “I would like this finding to inform our state legislators specifically to address risky substance use behaviors by adolescents in our state.”