A significant research project by Eastern Institute of Technology addressing the youth vaping epidemic has expanded beyond its initial Hawke’s Bay focus.

Following a request from a Bay of Plenty secondary school, the project, titled ‘Vaping Landscape,’ will now include Pāpāmoa College in its study.

The extension complements an existing study, ‘Scoping Solutions to Address the Epidemic of Youth Vaping in Aotearoa,’ led by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing.

This new study will be carried out by EIT Master of Health Science student Melody Khan, who has been actively involved in the original research.

The 'Vaping Landscape' study has been made possible by an additional grant from the Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay, supplementing the original funding from the Health Research Council and EIT.

Both studies aim to explore the personal experiences and health awareness related to e-cigarette use among youth, and to compare regional differences in vaping behaviours.

“This will be the first comprehensive investigation comparing vaping among intermediate and high school students in two distinct regions of New Zealand,” says Anita, highlighting the study’s scope.

“We are collaborating with several schools across Hawke’s Bay, and with additional funding, we have extended the research to include schools outside this region.”

Pāpāmoa College, with over 1,700 students—28 per cent of whom are Māori and six per cent Pasifika—approached EIT with concerns about rising vaping incidents.

After evaluating the feasibility and obtaining necessary ethics approvals, the college was incorporated into the study to provide comparative data.

“Previous data suggested higher vaping rates among Māori and Pacific students compared to their non-Māori and non-Pacific peers,” says Anita.

“Our goal is to analyse vaping behaviours at Pāpāmoa College and compare them with those observed in Hawke’s Bay.”

Melody Khan, a Master of Health Science student at EIT, transitioned from her original focus on nutrition to address the emerging issue of youth vaping.

“Although my initial thesis was on nutrition and labelling, this pressing issue of youth vaping motivated me to pivot my research. It’s an area needing further exploration,” says Melody.

Pāpāmoa College Deputy Principal Ben Ormsby welcomes the opportunity to participate.

“Given the rise in vaping incidents at our school, we saw this as a chance to contribute to research and potentially find effective strategies for education and intervention. The feedback from our community has been very supportive,” says Ben.

The college community is optimistic about the study’s potential impact.

“We hope that our involvement will contribute to meaningful solutions to address youth vaping,” says Ben.

“If the research helps develop effective strategies or messaging, it will be well worth our participation.”

The expanded study is set to provide valuable insights into vaping behaviours and help shape future interventions to tackle this growing issue among New Zealand’s youth.