Footprints in time: individual, social, and environmental factors and never-use of e-cigarettes among Indigenous adolescents

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarettes or vapes) use is becoming increasingly common, including among adolescents aged 12–15 years, who are often targeted through marketing and flavoured products. We aimed to investigate associations between individual, social, and environmental factors and e-cigarette never-use (hereafter referred to as never-use) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents in 2018. This was a cross-sectional analysis of Wave 11 data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (N = 440). Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios of never-use in relation to individual, social, and environmental factors. Never-use was reported by 89.3% of adolescents; 2.5% reported e-cigarette use with nicotine in the last 12 months. Never-use was associated with not using other substances (cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana), positive social relationships as well as supportive home and education environments. We did not identify significant associations between e-cigarette use and (1) individual factors: suicidal ideation and physical activity; or e-cigarette use and (2) family factors: caregivers’ perception of the child’s friends and schooling. Never-use was common within a cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents aged 12–15 years and was associated with supportive peer groups, school, and community environments. The factors identified as protective against e-cigarette use largely mirror those protective against cigarette use in this population.