Concise Paper on Health Behavior Risk and the Population Health Model – Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is a major high-risk health behavior. Its use increases the risk of engaging in risky behaviors, injury, and diseases. Tobacco use is rising among the emerging adult population. This further exacerbates the tobacco dependency pandemic and the population susceptible to major tobacco-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory and lung diseases, diabetes, mental health problems, as well as the increased burden of disease (Reitsma et al., 2021). This paper reviews tobacco use among emerging adults and presents the use of the population health model to address tobacco use, three approaches to address changes needed to address tobacco use, and reasons these are appropriate for the health behavior risk among the emerging adult population. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com.

Tobacco Use and Prevalence among the Emerging Adult Population (Ages 18 to 29)

Tobacco use is a behavioral health issue of concern. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States (Cornelius et al., 2020). Cigarette smoking has declined over the years, and its smoking among adults declined from 14.0% in 2019 to 12.5% in 2020 (Cornelius et al., 2022). However, other methods of tobacco product use, such as new combustible, noncombustible, and electronic tobacco products, fuel tobacco use among U.S. adults. A reported 47.1 million adults aged above 18 years were active tobacco users in 2020, in which smoking remained highest at 14 percent, e-cigarettes at 4.5 percent, cigars, smokeless tobacco including chewable tobacco and snuff, and hookah at 3.6, 2.4, and 1.0 percent, respectively (Cornelius et al., 2020). An estimated 16.7 percent of adults aged 18 years or older have smoked any combustible tobacco product, while 3.9 percent of tobacco users report using two or more tobacco products as of 2020 (Cornelius et al., 2022).

Cigarette smoking is lowest among emerging adults aged between 18 and 24 years at 7.4 percent and highest among people aged 25 to 44 years at 14.1 percent (Cornelius et al., 2022). New and emerging methods of tobacco use and flavors such as e-cigs and targeted marketing are threatening addiction among emerging adults and the new generation to nicotine. E-cigarette use is highest among the adult population aged between 18 and 24 years, which is currently at 9.3 percent of total smokers as of 2020 (Cornelius et al., 2022).

Tobacco use causes related diseases, disability, and death, which increases the burden of disease in the U.S. with significant social and economic outcomes. Current data shows that tobacco smoking alone kills over 480,000 Americans annually (Shrestha et al., 2022). Additionally, one in every four Americans who do not smoke or use tobacco products is exposed to secondhand smoke and tobacco use. This increases the number of susceptible populations to cigarette and tobacco use diseases. In addition, 2018 data shows that tobacco smoking and use cost the U.S. over $600 billion, with over $240 billion spent on healthcare and an estimated $372 billion on lost productivity (Shrestha et al., 2022).