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. 2013 Apr 8;15(4):e59.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.2324.

Health-related effects reported by electronic cigarette users in online forums

My Hua  1 , Mina Alfi, Prue Talbot
Affiliations

Health-related effects reported by electronic cigarette users in online forums

My Hua et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: The health effects caused by electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use are not well understood.

Objective: Our purpose was to document the positive and negative short-term health effects produced by e-cigarette use through an analysis of original posts from three online e-cigarettes forums.

Methods: Data were collected into Microsoft Access databases and analyzed using Cytoscape association graphics, frequency distributions, and interactomes to determine the number and type of health effects reported, the organ systems affected the frequency of specific effects, and systems interactions.

Results: A total of 405 different symptoms due to e-cigarette use were reported from three forums. Of these, 78 were positive, 326 were negative, and one was neutral. While the reported health effects were similar in all three forums, the forum with the most posts was analyzed in detail. Effects, which were reported for 12 organ systems/anatomical regions, occurred most often in the mouth and throat and in the respiratory, neurological, sensory, and digestive systems. Users with negative symptoms often reported more than one symptom, and in these cases interactions were often seen between systems, such as the circulatory and neurological systems. Positive effects usually occurred singly and most frequently affected the respiratory system.

Conclusions: This is the first compilation and analysis of the health effects reported by e-cigarette users in online forums. These data show that e-cigarette use can have wide ranging positive and negative effects and that online forums provide a useful resource for examining how e-cigarette use affects health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of all positive (green), negative (red),and neutral (white) symptoms and their associated systems as reported by e-cigarette users on the Electronic Cigarette Forum.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Frequency of positive and negative symptoms for 10 systems.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Interactome showing relationship between users who reported negative symptoms and the systems that were affected.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Positive interactome for the Electronic Cigarette Forum.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Interactome for Vapers Forum.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Interactome for Vapor Talk.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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