Table 3.
Factors influencing youth who vape (n = 11).
| UTB Construct | # | Exemplary quote |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral beliefs | ||
| Vaping is cool and fun (e.g., vape tricks) | 11 | “There's the tricks too that look kind of cool. Like, for me, personally, I don't care much for the nic. Like the nicotine. A lot of my friends do. I'm only in it for the tricks to be honest.” Participant 29 |
| Vaping makes you feel good because of the dopamine release | 7 | “Well, it started when my friend had one and I tried it and…I felt that it was all fun and games. That was with no nicotine in it….but then one of my friends’ friends had six nicotine in his and I tried that and it was the best feeling ever. It was just amazing. So I figured I'd get my own.” Participant 22 |
| Vaping makes you feel out of breath | 6 | “It does mess with your lungs a bit. Like when I played competitive soccer, if I had a game, I wouldn't vape like the day before or something just to clear up my lungs….I have noticed like you don't, you can't run as well; you run out of breath faster.” Participant 26 |
| Vaping is addictive | 3 | “It is very addictive. So, you know, the nicotine, you need it constantly and you're going to need more and more as you use it more and more. Yeah.” Participant 23 |
| Vaping helps you cope | 2 | “Not being in control of how I am feeling at the time – stress and anger takes over. Vaping helps me deal with the stress and anger.” Participant 16 |
| Normative beliefs | ||
| Everyone vapes | 11 | “I think it's because everyone does [vape]. It's a social thing…I don't know, it's nice. I enjoy it.” Participant 14 |
| Family indifference or approval | 10 | “My mother would rather me vape than other things. My immediate family don’t see it as their favorite thing but they rather me vape than do other things.” Participant 10 |
| Family disapproves | 10 | “My Dad…wasn’t happy at all because he’s been struggling with addiction with cigarette products, so when he knew that I was vaping he was really, really disappointed.” Participant 9 |
| Self concept | ||
| No “type” for vapers and nonvapers | 8 | “I cant give any stereotypes to people who vape. Like me and my friends all do really well in school and make good decisions and we vape. Cant give one stereotype.” Participant 17 |
| Non-vapers are responsible and smart | 6 | “People who don’t are more goal oriented. That’s why athletes may not.” Participant 15 |
| Vapers are social, outgoing and friendly | 3 | “I feel like it's the type of people who do other stuff, like drink and drugs and stuff. People who want to be cool and fit in. They are probably people who are kind of “popular” if you want to use that word.” Participant 14 |
| Emotions | ||
| Excitement for dopamine release | 3 | “Um, I guess like happiness kind of? It does make you feel really good inside, even if it's just for like five minutes.” Participant 23 |
| Disappointment in self | 3 | “I would say if I was addicted to something, I would be sad if anything. When I do vape, which is maybe twice a month, it makes me sad because I am breaking my trust which I have with myself.” Participant 6 |
| Split second decision | ||
| Parties and social gatherings | 8 | “Mm, I think um, a lot of you know, of your like peers. You know, so like if you’re in a big group of people and they all have one and they’re all doing it you’re probably going to be tempted to do it too.” Participant 11 |
| Knowledge | ||
| Health consequences | 11 | I don’t want my lungs to crap out on me in 5 years when I’m you know, 21. But honestly, a lot of the times, kids don’t really care about health risks. Like we understand them, we know them, yet, people continue to do it.” Participant 11 |
| Unknown risks warrants use | 3 | “Ah, well, solid research. A big, big case of all people dying from vaping and it might change my perspective.” Participant 29 |
| Suppresses appetite (female only) | 1 | “I started vaping because I am anorexic and nicotine suppresses your appetite… Just knowing that it is a stimulant and gives you energy for a short time. Knowing it supresses your appetite and gives you something to do.” Participant 17 |
| Environment | ||
| School is conducive to vaping | 8 | “If you go to school, it is not hard to vape.” Participant 6 |
| Easy access to vapes online and offline | 7 | “It's pretty easy to get access to any of that stuff. Like no matter what the laws are, young kids are always going to get alcohol, they're always going to get weed, they're always going to get what they want. There's always someone who can get someone something.” Participant 23 |
| Spending time alone (no parental supervision) | 5 | “When your parents are home, you can just do it in your room with the door closed unless they…just burst into your room without notice.” Participant 23 |
| Having older friends | 4 | “Since I am under 17, sometimes buying vape juice is hard. Luckily one of my friends is 19 so he gives me stuff sometimes.” Participant 10 |
| School policies are not enforced | 7 | “Everyone has them, by everyone [I mean] friends and people at school. There are just not very many rules about it - they are not very enforced. I think everyone does so that makes me more inclined to do it I guess.” Participant 14 |
| Behavioral cues | ||
| Tempting flavors | 3 | “Definitely would not smoke cigarettes because they are gross, but I guess since vape juice is more flavored it is more tempting.” Participant 14 |
| Drinking | 2 | “More tempting is like I would say when you're like under the influence and out of the home for some reason. I'm not sure why. But it's the same with everybody. Like when anybody is under the influence of alcohol, you get this urge for nicotine. Like I want it and I need it.” Participant 23 |
| Feeling stressed or bored | 9 | “I think it’s also [very] tied to your emotions. So if you’re having a bad day or you’re feeling very stressed or angry, you might want to use your friends or do something like that [vape] to really help relieve the stress kind of thing.” Participant 11 |
| Other people vaping | 6 | “Something to get me thinking about it [vaping] is seeing my friends do it.” Participant 6 |
| Watching TV, movies, video games (male only) | 2 | “Like if I'm playing a video game or something and it's been like half an hour, I get drawn to it I guess.” Participant 26 |
| Habitual processes | ||
| Morning/bedtime routine (male only) | 2 | “When I wake up, when I go to bed, everything. Yeah, like from the second I wake up, I'm vaping all throughout the day.” Participant 22 |