This study examined factors associated with adolescent e-cigarette use in South Korea through an integrated framework of Ecological Systems Theory and the Social Ecological Model (SEM). Although e-cigarette use and dual/triple use among adolescent...
This study examined factors associated with adolescent e-cigarette use in South Korea through an integrated framework of Ecological Systems Theory and the Social Ecological Model (SEM). Although e-cigarette use and dual/triple use among adolescents have spread rapidly, previous research has addressed these issues only partially, focusing on prevalence in public health and epidemiology or on individual risk factors. This study therefore reframed the associated factors as products of the multilayered environmental systems surrounding adolescents. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this study systematically searched Korean academic databases and selected 26 studies for the final analysis. The associated factors were synthesized into five dimensions: individual, interpersonal, school/environmental, media/marketing, and policy/institutional.
The results showed that the associated factors were not evenly distributed across the socioecological dimensions, revealing distinct patterns and proportions by dimension. Individual factors accounted for the largest share, appearing in 21 studies. Most studies consistently reported mental health vulnerabilities—including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation—and poly-substance use experiences involving alcohol, drugs, and conventional cigarettes. Psychological motives such as curiosity, flavors, concealability, stress relief, and low harm perception jointly drove both the initiation and continuation of e-cigarette use. Interpersonal factors were addressed in 16 studies. Peer smoking and peer pressure exerted the strongest influence on initiation, while parental and sibling smoking and insufficient parental monitoring created smoking-friendly environments. Insufficient school regulations and staff smoking normalized e-cigarette use. Economic status showed contrasting patterns, as it was associated with use through both a stress pathway among low-income groups and a purchasing-power pathway among high-income groups. Media/marketing factors were reported in nine studies. Exposure to YouTube and social media, along with deceptive marketing by tobacco companies, influenced adolescents' perceptions and use. Emerging media consumption behaviors, such as watching mukbang and cooking shows, were also associated with use. Policy/institutional factors were the least studied, appearing in seven studies. The absence of sales regulations and easy online purchasing increased adolescents' access. This study also observed a paradoxical effect whereby pricing and warning policies centered on conventional cigarettes promoted a shift toward less regulated e-cigarettes. Methodologically, Korean research was concentrated in quantitative cross-sectional studies based on the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS) (22 studies) and studies lacking an explicit theoretical framework (20 studies), confirming gaps in causal and theory-driven analysis.
This study is the first scoping review in South Korea to synthesize research on factors associated with adolescent e-cigarette use through an integrated framework of Ecological Systems Theory and the SEM. The associated factors were distributed across multiple ecological levels, with differing compositions and proportions. Based on these findings, this study proposes redefining adolescent e-cigarette prevention as a multilevel, integrated social work intervention encompassing family, peers, schools, policy, and media, beyond individual-level education.