Nicotine use in Polish adolescents and sociodemographic factors correlations - PolNicoYouth study

Abstract Background & aim Almost 36% of Polish smokers started their addiction before the age of 17. Polish youth exhibit a higher prevalence of e-cigarette use (29.5%) than traditional cigarettes (26.2%). This study aimed to outline the prevalence of tobacco and nicotine product use based on usage frequency, poly-product use patterns among ever/former/naive users. Methods In the 2020 cross-sectional study, secondary school students from 200 schools, were selected nationwide using a stratified and random approach, making the sample representative of the entire Polish population. Data were collected through Computer-Assisted Web Interviews, using a questionnaire based on the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Bayesian linear regression was used to assess correlations. Results The study consisted of 16,712 pupils aged 15-18. Almost 30% of participants admitted to current e-cigarette usage. Questions on parental smoking habits showed that 45.95% of parents smoke traditional cigarettes, 13.89% use e-cigarettes, and 13.80% use heated tobacco products (HTP). There was a very strong positive correlation between the female gender and the initiation of smoking with regular cigarettes (log[BF]=10.76). A very strong positive correlation between those studying in vocational schools and with initiation with regular cigarettes during initiation (log[BF]=18.13), while high school students had a greater association with e-cigarettes (log[BF]=11.08). There was also a very strong positive correlation between adolescents initiating smoking with regular cigarettes when their parents are also regular cigarette smokers (log[BF]=8.11) - no corresponding correlations were observed for e-cigarettes and HTP. There is a moderate positive correlation indicating a relationship between younger age (15 vs 18) and initiation by e-cigarette (log[BF]=1.8). Key messages • The type of nicotine product used by adolescents for nicotine initiation correlates differently with various socio-demographic factors and the type of nicotine product used by parents. • Taking these relationships into consideration enables the development of tailored nicotine prevention.