The Relationship Between Chronic Lung Disease Status and E-Cigarette Use,and Potential Influence of Excessive Alcohol Use and Marijuana Use on This Relationship

Abstract

Background:

There is a paucity of research on the prevalence of e-cigarette use among adults with chronic lung diseases. It is warranted to identify factors that contribute to the use of e-cigarettes among adults with chronic lung diseases. Some factors may include alcohol and marijuana use since previous research has shown positive correlations between these factors and e-cigarettes use. The aim of this study was to examine whether binge drinking and previous-month marijuana use will influence the relationship between chronic lung disease status and lifetime e-cigarette use in adults.

Methods:

Data come from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). A logistic regression was used to test the association between pulmonary status and e-cigarette use, controlling for demographic variables. We conducted moderation analyses to test our hypothesis that the association between chronic lung disease conditions and e-cigarettes was modified by binge drinking and previous-month marijuana use.

Results:

Lifetime e-cigarette use was higher among adults with chronic lung diseases than among those without (22.0% vs. 13.2%, P= < 0.001), as was the number of marijuana use days in the past 30 days (M [SD]: 15.9 [12.2] vs. 14.5 [12.1]). However, binge-drinking status was lower among those with chronic lung disease status (5.3% vs. 5.5%, P = .014). After controlling for covariates, binge drinking (β = – 0.31; P = < .001) but not previous-month marijuana use (β = – 0.002; P= .802) moderated the relationship between chronic lung disease status and lifetime use of e-cigarettes in adults.

Conclusions:

We examined moderating effects of binge drinking and marijuana use on using e-cigarettes among adults with chronic lung diseases. Previous-month marijuana use was not a moderator that affected the use of e-cigarettes among adults with chronic lung diseases, but binge drinking did moderate this relationship. More extensive research is warranted to better understand e-cigarette behavior in people with chronic lung disease.