Examining the Association between Adolescents’ Characteristics and Their Involvement with Vaping

Overview

Gifted Counselor, MHS Vaping in the United States has increased in the past decade especially among teens and young adults, causing a rise in public concern for their health. What is relatively scarce in the previous research and the current discussion is the question about what groups of adolescents may be more vulnerable to vaping. This research investigates this very issue by analyzing the associations between vaping use and adolescents’ individual characteristics using a national survey of drug use among U.S. adolescents (“Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2018”). The findings for logistic regression show that students who struggle with academics and skip school are more vulnerable to vaping than other students. In addition, there is a greater chance of vaping with those students going out more often than others. The amount of money students earn from a job and other work may also be increasing the chance for vaping. This study also provides initial evidence about religion and political preference, and their association with vaping. The findings can be valuable elements in designing a program of effective prevention and intervention of vaping in the U.S. Look Me in the Eye: The Perception of Adults and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Harper Chambers Pulaski Academy Little Rock, Arkansas Supervising Scientist: Dr. Leslie Templeto n Hendrix College People with ASD faced heavy stigma, preventing families from searching for a diagnosis, receiving accommodations, participating fully in their communities, and enjoying the same quality of life as their neighbors. The degradation of people with ASD urged families to isolate themselves and, in turn, created more misunderstandings and hatred because people are unable to correct misconceptions and teach about ASD. This observational study aimed to identify the subgroups within the autistic community who face the heaviest amount of stigma and determine the groups harboring more negative attitudes towards ASD. Participants, found using an online survey platform, read a scenario depicting adults and children with ASD experience high and low levels of support. To determine stigma, participants were asked about their comfort level, willingness to work with, and attitudes about the behaviors presented. The results indicated people with ASD experiencing low levels of support suffered from increased stigma, and adults with ASD suffered from increased stigma. Additionally, people were less inclined to associate with the autistic community in social environments than educational and vocations settings, proliferating social stratification. Lastly, while economic background showed no significant difference in attitudes towards ASD, women, older generations, and people close to the special needs community expressed more positive attitudes towards ASD. To destigmatize ASD, advocacy organizations must focus on introducing the autistic community to groups holding more negative attitudes towards ASD.