{"id":199736,"date":"2024-06-24T13:22:35","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T23:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199736"},"modified":"2024-06-25T18:26:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T04:26:22","slug":"vape-use-hawaii-schools-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/24\/vape-use-hawaii-schools-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Middle school voices help anti-vaping strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"ecigarette\"<\/p>\n

A team of researchers from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa and University of California Riverside collaborated with Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island schools to explore and develop strategies<\/a> to prevent vape use among middle school students, with input from 69 students helping shape the prevention curriculum.<\/p>\n

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Kelsie Okamura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Researchers from UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa include the John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>) Department of Native Hawaiian Health, UH<\/abbr> Cancer Center<\/a> and the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health<\/a>. <\/p>\n

“The data on substance use, especially within Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth, seem to suggest that the age at which prevention interventions are effective or most needed tends to be in middle school or even earlier,” said Kelsie Okamura, with JABSOM<\/abbr>‘s Department of Native Hawaiian Health.<\/p>\n

Okamura and the team took the project to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island middle schools and, through interviews or focus groups, got a first-hand glimpse into what middle schoolers encounter when it comes to the temptation to use vapes.<\/p>\n

“It’s happening at the backyard paʻina<\/span>. It’s with friends at the school bus stop, the gym, and the community center. Those are some of the scenarios we are hearing about,” Okamura said.<\/p>\n

Resistance skills used by students<\/h2>\n

The research explores effective resistance skills middle school students use to avoid vaping. Key strategies include:<\/p>\n