Reported electronic cigarette use among adolescents in the Niagara region of Ontario.

BACKGROUND: Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among adolescents has not been fully described, in particular their motivations for using them and factors associated with use. We sought to evaluate the frequency, motivations and associated factors for e-cigarette use among adolescents in Ontario. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, involving universal screening of students enrolled in grade 9 in co-operation with the Heart Niagara Inc. Healthy Heart Schools' Program (for the 2013-2014 school year). We used a questionnaire to assess cigarette, e-cigarette and other tobacco use, and self-rated health and stress. We assessed household income using 2011 Canadian census data by matching postal codes to census code. RESULTS: Of 3312 respondents, 2367 answered at least 1 question in the smoking section of the questionnaire (1274 of the 2367 respondents [53.8%] were male, with a mean [SD] age of 14.6 [0.5] yr) and 2292 answered the question about use of e-cigarettes. Most respondents to the questions about use of e-cigarettes (n = 1599, 69.8%) had heard of e-cigarettes, and 380 (23.8%) of these respondents had learned about them from a store sign or display. Use of e-cigarettes was reported by 238 (10.4%) students. Most of the respondents who reported using e-cigarettes (171, 71.9%) tried them because it was "cool/fun/new," whereas 14 (5.8%) reported using them for smoking reduction or cessation. Male sex, recent cigarette or other tobacco use, family members who smoke and friends who smoke were strongly associated with reported e-cigarette use. Reported use of e-cigarettes was associated with self-identified fair/poor health rating (odds ratio [OR] 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-3.0), p < 0.001), high stress level (OR 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.7), p < 0.001) and lower mean (33.4 [8.4] × $1000 v. 36.1 [10.7] × $1000, p = 0.001) and median [interquartile range] (26.2 [5.6] × $1000 v. 28.1 [5.7] × $1000) household incomes. INTERPRETATION: Use of e-cigarettes is common among adolescents in the Niagara region and is associated with sociodemographic features. Engaging in seemingly exciting new behaviours appears to be a key motivating factor rather than smoking cessation.

Universal screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents to identify high-risk families: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Universal screening of children for dyslipidemia and other cardiovascular risk factors has been recommended. Given the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors within families, one benefit of screening adolescents may be to identify "at-risk" families in which adult members might also be at elevated risk and potentially benefit from medical evaluation. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of grade 9 students evaluating adiposity, lipids and blood pressure. Data collected by Heart Niagara Inc. through the Healthy Heart Schools' Program. Parents completed questionnaires, evaluating family history of dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes and early cardiovascular disease events in parents and siblings (first-degree relatives), and grandparents (second-degree relatives). Associations between positive risk factor findings in adolescents and presence of a positive family history were assessed in logistic regression models. RESULTS: N = 4014 adolescents ages 14-15 years were screened; 3467 (86 %) provided family medical history. Amongst adolescents, 4.7 % had dyslipidemia, 9.5 % had obesity, and 3.5 % had elevated blood pressure. Central adiposity (waist-to-height ratio ≥0.5) in the adolescent was associated with increased odds of diabetes in first- (OR:2.0 (1.6-2.6), p < 0.001) and second-degree relatives (OR:1.3 (1.1-1.6), p = 0.002). Dyslipidemia was associated with increased odds of diabetes (OR:1.6 (1.1-2.3), p < 0.001), hypertension (OR:2.2 (1.5-3.2), p < 0.001) and dyslipidemia (OR:2.2 (1.5-3.2),p < 0.001) in first degree relatives. Elevated blood pressure did not identify increased odds of a positive family history. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of obesity and/or dyslipidemia in adolescents identified through a universal school-based screening program is associated with risk factor clustering within families. Universal pediatric cardiometabolic screening may be an effective entry into reverse cascade screening.

Lower socioeconomic status, adiposity and negative health behaviours in youth: a cross-sectional observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding obesity and its modifiable risk factors in youth is key to addressing the burden of cardiovascular disease later in life. Our aim was to examine the associations among adiposity, negative health behaviours and socioeconomic status in youth from the Niagara Region. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional observational study of 3467 grade 9 students during their mandatory health and physical education class to investigate the association between socioeconomic status (postal code), self-reported health behaviour and adiposity in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: Median household income was $63,696 and overall percentage below the after-tax low-income cut-off was 4.2%. Negative health behaviours (especially skipped meals, lower fruit and vegetable consumption, higher screen time) were associated with lower income neighbourhoods, however, the absolute effect was small. Those participants in the lowest income quintile had a significantly greater body mass index z-score than those in the highest (0.72±1.19 vs 0.53±1.12), but the overall trend across quintiles was not statistically significant. A similar trend was noted for waist-to-height ratio. The lowest income neighbourhoods according to after-tax low-income cut-off had small but statistically significant associations with higher adiposity compared with the middle or highest income neighbourhoods. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity prevention efforts should target modifiable behaviours, with particular attention to adolescents from lower income families and neighbourhoods.

Population trends toward increasing cardiovascular risk factors in Canadian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence and cross-sectional trends over time for cardiovascular risk factors in Canadian adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional trends in cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors were gathered annually in 14- to 15-year-old students in the Niagara region, Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: A total of 20 719 adolescents were screened between 2002 and 2008. The proportion of obese adolescents (>95th percentile for body mass index [BMI]) increased significantly, by +0.34%/year (P = .002). The proportions of adolescents with borderline high cholesterol (4.4-5.1 mmol/L) (+0.57%/year; P <.001) and with high cholesterol (≥5.2 mmol/L) (+0.43%/year; P <.001) both increased significantly over time. The proportion of adolescents with prehypertension decreased by -0.23%/year (P = .02), whereas the proportion of those with stage I hypertension (5%-6%) or stage II hypertension (2%-4%) remained constant. The proportion of adolescents classified as being at high cardiovascular risk increased by +0.67%/year (P <.001). Family history, low levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, poor nutrition, and lower socioeconomic status were all independently and negatively associated with all aspects of cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of 14- to 15-year-old Canadian adolescents have at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and the cross-sectional trends worsened during the period 2002-2008.

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in grade nine students.

BACKGROUND: The Niagara Schools' Healthy Heart Program (NSHHP) is a health education and intervention program offered to students enrolled in a grade nine physical education course. The program involves completion of a family history and a self-report lifestyle survey, measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, and random total cholesterol levels, a heart education class, and CPR training. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the prevalence of cardiovascular risk for adolescents enrolled in the program. METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected by the NSHHP staff to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in grade nine students for the school year 2006. Specific risk factors studied were smoking, body mass index, total cholesterol level and blood pressure. RESULTS: A total of 3,639 students from 30 schools participated. Almost 14% of students had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Body mass index was found to be the highest risk factor (13.7%) and total random cholesterol level (5%) was found to be the lowest risk factor in this sample. There were differences in prevalence rates between male and female students for all risk factors except elevated blood pressure. Five per cent of the students were referred to a family physician for follow-up, mostly for high cholesterol readings. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that adolescents do have cardiovascular risk factors and prevention could be targeted to this population. These risk factors were already established by the time the students reached adolescence. The findings support conducting early prevention with younger children and adolescents.