Date of Conferral
4-11-2025
Date of Award
April 2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Health
Advisor
Patrick Tschida
Abstract
Vaping is a growing public health concern in the United States among young adults. Despite the belief that vaping is safer compared to traditional smoking, e-cigarettes have become a major public health problem among young adults between the age of 18-25 in the United States. In this qualitative study, the perceptions of the risks of vaping by young adults in Indiana, their lived experiences, and factors contributing to vaping behavior were explored. Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), the effect of knowledge on perceived risks and reported vaping behavior among the respondents was explored. Ten participants, seven males, and three females, were recruited from the smoking cessation program with the Indiana Department of Health, who had knowledge of e-cigarette use and engaged in vaping behaviors before their participation in the smoking cessation program. Participants responded by email to open-ended questions. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that young adults’ experience of vaping was consistent with the previous evidence on vaping and its impacts. The results emphasize that vaping is a social behavior socialization and peer pressure were the key drivers of vaping behavior. Thus, curbing the youth vaping epidemic should be a priority for health education, highlighting the need for positive social change. These findings can be used to inform public health awareness and prevention programs to increase social awareness for reducing social acceptance of vaping behavior.
Recommended Citation
Kollison, Martha Tarluwah, "The Role of Knowledge of Vaping and E-Cigarette Use Among Young Adults Aged 18-25 Years" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17595.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17595
