Predictors of electronic cigarette use among Swedish teenagers: a population-based cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to identify predictors of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among teenagers.

Design and setting: A prospective population-based cohort study of schoolchildren in northern Sweden.

Participants: In 2006, a cohort study about asthma and allergic diseases among schoolchildren started within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden studies. The study sample (n=2185) was recruited at age 7-8 years, and participated in questionnaire surveys at age 14-15 and 19 years. The questionnaire included questions about respiratory symptoms, living conditions, upper secondary education, physical activity, diet, health-related quality of life, parental smoking and parental occupation. Questions about tobacco use were included at age 14-15 and 19 years.

Primary outcome: E-cigarette use at age 19 years.

Results: At age 19 years, 21.4% had ever tried e-cigarettes and 4.2% were current users. Among those who were daily tobacco smokers at age 14-15 years, 60.9% had tried e-cigarettes at age 19 years compared with 19.1% of never-smokers and 34.0% of occasional smokers (p<0.001). Among those who had tried e-cigarettes, 28.1% were never smokers both at age 14-15 and 19 years, and 14.4% were never smokers among the current e-cigarette users. In unadjusted analyses, e-cigarette use was associated with daily smoking, use of snus and having a smoking father at age 14-15 years, as well as with attending vocational education, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. In adjusted analyses, current e-cigarette use was associated with daily tobacco smoking at age 14-15 years (OR 6.27; 95% CI 3.12 to 12.58), attending a vocational art programme (OR 2.22; 95% CI 1.04 to 4.77) and inversely associated with eating a healthy diet (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.92).

Conclusions: E-cigarette use was associated with personal and parental tobacco use, as well as with physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and attending vocational upper secondary education. Importantly, almost one-third of those who had tried e-cigarettes at age 19 years had never been tobacco smokers.

Keywords: epidemiology; preventive medicine; public health.