Prevalence and Factors Associated with Electronic Cigarette Use Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System,2016–2018

Abstract

Purpose:

This study describes the prevalence trends of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use in young adult cancer survivors and compares these to the prevalence among young adults without a cancer history. It also examines the association between conventional cigarette use, binge drinking, depression, and other sociodemographic factors, and e-cigarette use in young adult cancer survivors.

Methods:

Cross-sectional analyses, using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016–2018, were done. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations between conventional cigarette use, binge drinking, and depression as well as other factors associated with e-cigarette use in young adult cancer survivors.

Results:

Lifetime e-cigarette use increased from 40.1% in 2016 to 47.4% in 2018. Former smokers were 5.47 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.48–8.61) more likely to be lifetime e-cigarette users and 1.9 times (95% CI: 1.12–3.23) more likely to be current e-cigarette users compared to never smokers. Current smokers were over sixteen folds more likely (adjusted odds ratio: 16.50, 95% CI: 11.59–23.57) to be lifetime e-cigarette users and 2.1 times (95% CI: 1.24–3.57) more likely to be current e-cigarette users relative to never smokers. Furthermore, binge drinking and depression were associated with higher odds of lifetime e-cigarette use, while increasing age was associated with lower odds of e-cigarette use. Compared to females, males were significantly more likely to be current users of e-cigarettes relative to former users.

Conclusion:

Conventional cigarette use, binge drinking, depression, age, and gender were found to be associated with e-cigarette use among young adult cancer survivors. Policies targeted at e-cigarette control among young adult cancer survivors need to be multipronged, simultaneously addressing other harmful practices such as binge drinking and the use of conventional cigarettes.