Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews

Wojtecka, Agnieszka; Kalinowska-Beszczyńska, Olga; Tyrańska-Fobke, Anna; Kaleta, Dorota; Wojnarowska, Małgorzata; Robakowska, Marlena; Balwicki, Łukasz

doi:10.3390/ijerph20021438

Open AccessArticle

Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews

by

Agnieszka Wojtecka

¹

,

Olga Kalinowska-Beszczyńska

^1,*,

Anna Tyrańska-Fobke

¹

,

Dorota Kaleta

²,

Małgorzata Wojnarowska

³,

Marlena Robakowska

¹

and

Łukasz Balwicki

¹

Department of Public Health and Social Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland

²

Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Łódź, Poland

³

Center for Competence Development, Integrated Care and e-Health, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021438

Submission received: 13 December 2022 / Revised: 9 January 2023 / Accepted: 10 January 2023 / Published: 12 January 2023

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Abstract

There is general agreement among scholars and policymakers that efforts to reduce smoking and prevent nicotine use should be intensified and focused on the most vulnerable part of society—adolescents. Regardless of common knowledge about the health consequences of smoking, according to data from 2020, about 51% of children in Poland had their first contact with smoking at the age of 15 and older. The objective of this research is to investigate motivations to start smoking or vaping, patterns of using tobacco products, perceptions of smoking/vaping and smokers/vapers, as well as attitudes toward nicotine addiction. The broad aim is to reflect on youth perceptions of nicotine use. A qualitative approach has been applied, utilising focus-group interviews. The sample included six focus groups, consisting of smokers and non-smokers of both genders, situated in three different cities in Poland. The interviewees were adolescents ages 16–18, attending high schools, technical schools, or vocational education. Interviews were transcribed and further analysed using the thematic analysis approach. This research enhances previously reported results by revealing new insights into the strategies applied by adolescents to mitigate financial barriers arising from high costs of nicotine products, as well as highlighting methods used to avoid the traditional antismoking messages placed on packaging.

Keywords: cigarettes; young adults; perception

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MDPI and ACS Style

Wojtecka, A.; Kalinowska-Beszczyńska, O.; Tyrańska-Fobke, A.; Kaleta, D.; Wojnarowska, M.; Robakowska, M.; Balwicki, Ł. Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 1438. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021438

AMA Style

Wojtecka A, Kalinowska-Beszczyńska O, Tyrańska-Fobke A, Kaleta D, Wojnarowska M, Robakowska M, Balwicki Ł. Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(2):1438. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021438

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wojtecka, Agnieszka, Olga Kalinowska-Beszczyńska, Anna Tyrańska-Fobke, Dorota Kaleta, Małgorzata Wojnarowska, Marlena Robakowska, and Łukasz Balwicki. 2023. "Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 2: 1438. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021438

APA Style

Wojtecka, A., Kalinowska-Beszczyńska, O., Tyrańska-Fobke, A., Kaleta, D., Wojnarowska, M., Robakowska, M., & Balwicki, Ł. (2023). Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1438. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021438

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Adolescents’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Traditional and Electronic Cigarettes—Results of Focus Group Interviews

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