Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of factors affecting the use of e-cigarettes among college students in Guangdong province

• Published in: Tobacco induced diseases Vol. 22; no. May; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Tan, Xiaoyu, Mai, Jianrong, Lin, Lina, Zhou, Ling, Huang, Tingfen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece European Publishing on behalf of the International Society for the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases (ISPTID) 29.05.2024; European Publishing
• Subjects: college students; e-cigarette; fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis; Research Paper; self-efficacy; e-cigarette; fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis; college students; self-efficacy
• ISSN: 1617-9625; 2070-7266; 1617-9625
• DOI: 10.18332/tid/187836

In recent years, e-cigarettes as an emerging tobacco product have been favored by college students. Our study aims to explore the factors affecting the use of e-cigarettes among college students and to put forward feasible suggestions for effectively controlling the use of e-cigarettes among college students. The participating students were from three undergraduate and three specialized colleges in Guangdong Province, surveyed from January to March 2022. The Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method was used to analyze the influence mechanism and path of five antecedents: self-efficacy, social environment, cognition, sales environment, and negative outcome expectation, on the use of e-cigarettes. The fsQCA used in this study is a novel research methodology that combines the strengths of qualitative and quantitative analyses, through which we can determine which conditions are essential to the outcomes that lead to e-cigarette use among college students, and which combinations of conditions are more important than others. The interaction of self-efficacy, social environment, cognition, sales environment, and negative outcome expectation, affected college students' use of e-cigarettes. Through the fsQCA method, it was found that self-efficacy alone constitutes a necessary condition for college students not to use e-cigarettes. There are four possible pathways for college students not to use e-cigarettes, with higher self-efficacy, correct cognition, and a healthy social environment influencing the most important combination of conditions for college students to use e-cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes by students in Guangdong Province is the result of the synergistic effect of multiple factors. Tobacco control action suggestions focus on improving students' self-efficacy and paying attention to the combination of different factors to achieve more effective tobacco control.