Gender Differences in Reasons for Using Electronic Cigarettes: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Differential reasons for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use for men and women have seldom been examined, and there is no systematic overview of this research literature.

Aims and methods: The aim of this review is to conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify gender differences in the reasons for e-cigarette use. Systematic searches covered in three databases found 866 unique articles: Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Reasons for e-cigarette use were sorted into 17 distinct categories.

Results and conclusions: Sixteen studies identified statistically significant differences in reasons between men and women. Frequently assessed reasons for e-cigarette use across studies included Health/Smoking Cessation, Experimentation/Curiosity, Enjoyment/Pleasure, Use in Specific Locations, Acceptable to Others, and Cost. Of those that identified statistically significant differences in reasons between men and women, the findings varied considerably, and some reasons for e-cigarette use were found to be significant in only one or two studies. Most of the reasons identified were only measured in a small number of studies, complicating our ability to make intervention recommendations based on gender. Additionally, we limited our literature search to peer-reviewed studies. Of the reason categories that did find significant differences between gender, such as reasons related to Health/Smoking Cessation, the outcomes were not consistent across studies. Future studies are needed to identify potentially important differences in the reasons for e-cigarette use among men and women.

Implications: This systematic review aims to uncover gender differences in e-cigarette use to understand important differences in motivation for use that may help us better understand strategies for prevention and treatment of tobacco use disorder. This review is the first on this topic and could provide further insight on patterns of e-cigarette use across gender.