LATEBREAKER
Substance Use
E-cigarette use disparities among Virginia youth: Unraveling intersectionality of sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and gender Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan* Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan Ateeqa Ijaz Aditya Chakraborty Archana Vardhan Omolayo Joy Anjorin Lisa L Lindley Rima Nakkash
Introduction:
Virginia’s youth tobacco-use prevention efforts, which received an “F” grade in 2023, underscore the urgency of understanding vaping behaviors among this population. This study aims to investigate the disparities in e-cigarette use among Virginia youth considering the intersectionality of sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and sex to inform tailored interventions and policy strategies within the state.
Methods:
Data came from the 2019-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a nationally representative survey of high school students. The final sample comprised N=7460 Virginia high school students with valid responses to questions regarding sexual identity. Weighted logistic regression models were used to assess the association between sexual orientation (cis heterosexual, lesbian/gay, bisexual, unsure) and current vaping behavior, stratified by sex and racial/ethnic group.
Results:
Vaping e-cigarette was notably higher among most youth who self-identified as lesbian/gay, or bisexual within various race/ethnicity and sex groups compared to their cis-heterosexual counterparts. Among non-Hispanic Black students, lesbian/gay individuals showed significantly higher odds (Adjusted odds ratio(aOR)= 3.10; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]:1.34-7.15) of vaping compared to cis heterosexual students, particularly among boys (aOR=4.50; 95%CI: 1.09-18.63). Conversely, among non-Hispanic Black students, bisexual girls were more likely to vape (aOR=2.37;95%CI: 1.09-5.15) than cis-heterosexual girls. Furthermore, among non-Hispanic White individuals, bisexual students exhibited significantly higher odds (aOR=1.56; 95%CI:1.09-2.24) of vaping compared to cis-heterosexual students across all boys and girls combined. Among Hispanics, bisexual girls were more likely to vape (aOR=1.96;95%CI:1.00-3.3.83) than their cis-heterosexual counterpart girls.
Conclusions:
The findings underscore significantly higher vaping rates among lesbian/gay, or bisexual youth across diverse demographics. Notably, non-Hispanic Black lesbian/gay individuals and bisexual girls exhibited heightened vaping likelihoods compared to cis-heterosexual peers. These findings underscore the importance of considering intersectionality in understanding and addressing vaping disparities among Virginia youth.