Sports Team Participation and Vaping Among High School Students: 2015-2019.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electronic vapor products (EVPs) have gained popularity among adolescents despite the health risks. This study aimed to evaluate whether sports team participation, a well-established protective factor against cigarette use, is similarly associated with decreased EVP use. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed the 2015-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey cohorts. Survey-weighted logistic regressions investigated associations between sports team participation and past 30-day exclusive cigarette use, exclusive EVP use, and dual cigarette/EVP use among US high school students, adjusting for sex, grade, and survey year. RESULTS: The analytic cohort included 16 790 sports team participants (1.7% exclusive cigarette users, 18.3% exclusive EVP users, 5.5% dual users) and 13 972 nonparticipants (3.1% exclusive cigarette users, 13.4% exclusive EVP users, 7.6% dual users). Sports team participation was associated with lower odds of cigarette use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.71) and dual use (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.88) and higher odds of EVP use (aOR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.25-1.54). Among exclusive cigarette users and exclusive EVP users, sports team participation was associated with lower odds of frequent (≥20 days in the past month) than intermittent (1-19 days in the past month) cigarette use (aOR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.19-0.49) and EVP use (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that risk profiles for cigarette and EVP use differ with respect to sports team participation. Given the health risks associated with EVP use, aggressive efforts must be taken to educate student athletes about the health risks of EVP use.

Age restriction warning label efficacy and high school student consumption of highly-caffeinated products.

Age restriction warning labels (ARLs) are placed on highly-caffeinated food and drinks, such as Red Bull, to deter consumption by minors who are especially vulnerable to the risks of excessive caffeine consumption. Previous studies have shown that ARLs on media like TV programs and video games fail to discourage minors. However, it is unclear how ARLs on food and drink packages affect minors' purchasing behavior. High school students aged 14 to 17 years (n = 150, Mage = 15.2, 51% male) were asked to choose between seven novel product dyads (three food/drink dyads, two movie dyads, and two video game dyads); each dyad contained one product with an ARL and one without. Participants were then asked how ARLs and parental permissiveness of ARL products influenced their decision. Roughly half of the participants selected food and drink products with ARLs. Over two-thirds (69%) of the students reported that they were not discouraged by ARLs on highly caffeinated food and drinks. Participants reported their parents as significantly less permissive of age-restricted food and drink products than of age-restricted media merchandise (p < .01). Perceived parental permissiveness was not correlated with minors' perception of ARL or simulated product choice. Current ARLs on highly caffeinated food and drink items may be ineffective for adolescents and may actually increase product appeal. Pediatricians should educate patients and parents regarding the health risks of excessive caffeine consumption.