Use of a technophilia index to address e-cigarette trial and use in Mexican youth

Abstract

Background: E-cigarettes have had a strong growth in Mexico, especially among adolescents. These products are advertised as technology advanced products and their increased use may reflect a tendency to adopt new technologies. The concept of “technophilia” draws attention to the “pleasure, affection, and emotional qualities” that accompanies new technology. The aim of this study is to explore and validate a technophilia index among a cohort of Mexican youth, and to evaluate the association with e-cigarette trial and use. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 8747 students from the three largest cities in Mexico. To develop the technophilia index we evaluated eight questions related to internet use. To validate this scale, we used an explanatory factor analysis on the overall item set. We used linear and multinomial logistic regressions to evaluate the association between the technophilia index and e-cigarette trial/use, and having used e-cigarette as the first tobacco product. Results: Study results showed a dose-response association between technophilia index and e-cigarette trial (OR=1.48, 95% CI 1.26-1.75, Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1). Moreover, Mexican adolescents with high levels of technophilia were more likely to have used e-cigarettes as their first tobacco product (OR=1.78, 95% CI 1.31-2.42, Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1). Conclusions: Results from this study suggest that e-cigarette trial is characterized by greater technophilia among youth. This study highlights the need for research in this area, so that effective strategies may be developed to address these risk factors.