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Youth

Research to Address Youth Vaping Epidemic in Hawke's Bay

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researcher Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing is leading projects to address the alarming rates of youth vaping in Hawke's Bay, with a particular focus on Mýüori and Pacific students who are disproportionately affected by vaping. The research aims to understand why students vape, identify knowledge gaps about the health harms of vaping, and develop targeted prevention and cessation initiatives. The projects are funded by Health Research Foundation Hawke's Bay and EIT | Te PuÞäkenga, and involve collaboration with the Stop Adolescent Vaping E-Cigarettes (S.A.V.E.) group and the Youth Vaping National Network.

Key Takeaways:

  • A research project, "Actions to Vaporize Rangatahi Vaping in Te Matau-a-Mýüui," aims to understand why students vape and identify knowledge gaps about the health harms of vaping among students and student-facing staff in Hawke's Bay.
  • The project will provide an overall perspective on vaping from students and student-facing staff and inform actions for vaping intervention programmes.
  • A supporting study, "Actions to address the epidemic of youth vaping around Mýüori, Pacific and other non-European intermediate and high school students in Hawke's Bay," will investigate the decision-making around vaping and health-knowledge gaps among Mýüori and Pacific secondary school students.
  • The research will be grounded in a culturally responsive approach and will develop meaningful and tailored youth vaping prevention and cessation initiatives.
  • The projects involve collaboration with the S.A.V.E. group and the Youth Vaping National Network, and include consultation with Mýüori advisors to ensure culturally responsive approaches.
  • The research aims to develop anti-vaping educational materials that are culturally relevant and effective in preventing and reducing youth vaping.

Statistics:

  • Daily use of e-cigarettes was 2.5-times higher and daily smoking 4.5- times higher in Mýüori students than in non-Mýüori, non-Pacific students in 2019.
  • There is little to no appropriate, formalised, or Ministry of Education-approved anti-vaping educational material in Aotearoa.

Sources:

  • Eastern Institute of Technology -- Tairþwhiti
  • Health Research Foundation Hawke's Bay
  • EIT | Te PuÞäkenga
  • Stop Adolescent Vaping E-Cigarettes (S.A.V.E.) group
  • Youth Vaping National Network

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