Predictors of smokeless tobacco initiation in a young adult military cohort

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of smokeless tobacco (ST) initiation among young adults. METHODS: A military cohort (N=28,229) was analyzed to identify variables associated with ST initiation. RESULTS: Baseline current cigarette smoking at baseline was a strong predictor for any ST use (OR 3.88; 95% CI: 3.33-4.52) and daily ST use (OR 3.01, 2.34-3.88) as was experimental ST use for any (OR 2.39, 2.09-2.73) and daily ST use (OR 2.41, 1.93-3.01). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and previous ST use are strong predictors for ST use in adults. Research is needed to characterize ST initiation and changes in smoking behavior over time.