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Table 1 Sample characteristics, perceptions, and use of e-cigarettes among young adults in Hong Kong

From: Perceptions and use of e-cigarettes among young adults in Hong Kong

 

Total sample

(N = 1186)

Current cigarette smoking statusa

p

Nonsmoker

(n = 811)

Current smoker

(n = 375)

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

Age, Mean (SD)

24.18

(5.14)

24.41

(5.29)

23.68

(4.78)

.024

Gender

.005

 Male

537

(45.3)

345

(42.5)

192

(51.2)

 

 Female

649

(54.7)

466

(57.5)

183

(48.8)

 

Education attainment

.074

 High school or less

145

(12.2)

96

(11.8)

49

(13.1)

 

 Some college, no degree

126

(10.6)

94

(11.6)

32

(8.5)

 

 Bachelor’s degree

699

(58.9)

488

(60.2)

211

(56.3)

 

 Advanced degree

205

(17.3)

125

(15.4)

80

(21.3)

 

 Unreported

11

(0.9)

8

(1.0)

3

(0.8)

 

Place of birth

<.001

 Hong Kong

889

(75.0)

640

(78.9)

249

(66.4)

 

 Mainland China

186

(15.7)

119

(14.7)

67

(17.9)

 

 Others

94

(7.9)

43

(5.3)

51

(13.6)

 

 Unreported

17

(1.4)

9

(1.1)

8

(2.1)

 

Awareness of e-cigarettes

.051

 Yes

1153

(97.2)

782

(96.4)

371

(98.9)

 

 No

25

(2.1)

22

(2.7)

3

(0.8)

 

 Don’t know/not sure

8

(0.7)

7

(0.9)

1

(0.3)

 

E-cigarette useb

<.001

 Never user

983

(82.9)

755

(93.1)

228

(60.8)

 

 Former user

134

(11.3)

42

(5.2)

92

(24.5)

 

 Current user

57

(4.8)

11

(1.4)

46

(12.3)

 

 Undetermined

12

(1.0)

3

(0.4)

9

(2.4)

 

Frequency of e-cigarette usec

.971

 1–2 days in past 30 days

36

(63.2)

7

(63.6)

29

(63.0)

 

  ≥ 3 days in past 30 days

21

(36.8)

4

(36.4)

17

(37.0)

 

Susceptibility to e-cigarette used

<.001

 Yes

323

(34.0)

155

(21.4)

168

(75.0)

 

 No

617

(65.0)

563

(77.6)

54

(24.1)

 

 Unreported

10

(1.1)

8

(1.1)

2

(0.9)

 

E-cigarette perceptionse, mean (SD)

 Perceived harm of e-cigarettes

7.59

(2.34)

8.07

(2.13)

6.58

(2.44)

<.001

 Perceived harm of e-cigarette aerosol

6.93

(2.93)

7.62

(2.67)

5.55

(2.94)

<.001

 Perceived addictiveness of e-cigarettes

7.22

(2.70)

7.91

(2.38)

5.77

(2.78)

<.001

 Perceived popularity of e-cigarette use

2.62

(2.87)

2.34

(2.91)

3.23

(2.74)

<.001

  1. Notes. Age and e-cigarette perceptions are reported as mean and SD in parenthesis. Other variables are reported as n and % in parenthesis
  2. aCurrent smokers reported smoking cigarettes on at least 1 day in the past 30 days; nonsmokers reported smoking 0 days in the past 30 days
  3. bE-cigarette never users reported having never used e-cigarettes; former users reported having ever used e-cigarettes but not in the past 30 days; current users reported using e-cigarettes on at least 1 day in the past 30 days
  4. cAmong current e-cigarettes users (n = 57)
  5. dAmong respondents who were aware of e-cigarettes but had never used e-cigarettes (n = 950)
  6. eAmong respondents who were aware of e-cigarettes (n = 1153)
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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