Background
The Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC), under contract to the Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division, conducted a random digit dial (RDD) survey, which included landlines and cell phones, of young adults aged 18 to 25. The survey measured attitudes and behaviors of young adults in Wyoming related to tobacco use.
In 2010, WYSAC performed a literature review to summarize what is known about young adult smoking initiation. The results of the literature review indicated that additional research would further inform tobacco prevention and control efforts regarding those who do (and do not) initiate smoking as young adults (WYSAC, 2010). In 2011, WYSAC conducted two focus groups with young adults who initiated cigarette smoking after turning 18. One recommendation that came from the focus groups was more research into the emergence of “social smokers” and the definitions employed by researchers to characterize smoking status (WYSAC, 2011). In addition, the 2012 Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS) showed that while most current smokers initiated smoking before the legal age of 18 (72%), those who initiated between the ages of 18 and 24 increased from 13% in 2010 to 25% in 2012 (WYSAC, 2014).
To better understand tobacco initiation and the tobacco-using behavior of Wyoming’s young adults, WYSAC’s analyses of the results of this 2016 Young Adult Tobacco Survey (YATS) assessed the discrepancies between researchers’ definitions of smoking status and how respondents label themselves, including the idea of self-labeling as a social smoker. The survey also assessed cigarette and electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use and cessation; social acceptance of smoking; perceptions of risk for those who smoke and vape; and the relationships between smoking and drinking alcohol, stress, and weight.
Methods
Sampling & Survey Administration
WYSAC purchased three telephone samples to target young adults for this survey: targeted landline, targeted cellular, and RDD cellular. The sampling protocol for this survey was specifically designed to achieve roughly 60–70% of all completions on cell phones.
WYSAC’s Survey Research Center administered the survey from September 29, 2015, through November 29, 2015. WYSAC interviewers screened each respondent to ensure eligibility (18–25 year-olds living in a Wyoming county). WYSAC called phone numbers up to 12 times to complete surveys. The average time to complete a survey was 9 minutes and 22 seconds. WYSAC made 114,376 call attempts on a total sample size of 26,345 telephone numbers.
WYSAC completed 539 interviews with 18–25-year-olds in Wyoming, an overall response rate of 9.8%. Over 60% of surveys were completed in the RDD cellular frame, 4% were completed in the targeted cellular frame and 36% were completed in the targeted landline frame. Of all working, eligible phone numbers, the overall response rate was 9.8%. Of all working phone numbers, 38% were screened as ineligible (had no 18–25-year-olds in the household).
Analysis
The YATS sample appeared representative for all priority populations without the need for weighting. The Appendix shows the demographics of WYSAC’s young adult sample.
WYSAC conducted statistical tests to determine if variables of interest differed for demographic groups. To determine if differences were statistically significantly, WYSAC conducted Pearson’s chi-squared tests and Fisher’s one tailed exact tests (α = 0.05) in Stata 12.1. Along with observed, expected, and p-values, WYSAC researchers used adjusted residuals to assist with interpreting the direction and strength of statistically significant associations. With 95% confidence, WYSAC’s random sample of 539 yields a margin of error of about ±4.2 percentage points. Some percentages in the charts and tables do not total to 100% because of rounding.
