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. 2024 Feb 1:255:111083.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111083. Epub 2024 Jan 6.

Immigration status-related exclusive e-cigarette use and cannabis use and their dual use disparities associated with mental health disorder symptoms

David Adzrago  1 , Saanie Sulley  2 , Faustine Williams  3
Affiliations

Immigration status-related exclusive e-cigarette use and cannabis use and their dual use disparities associated with mental health disorder symptoms

David Adzrago et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Introduction: E-cigarette and cannabis use has been linked to various health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Yet, extant knowledge about the risk factors for exclusive and dual use of e-cigarettes and cannabis is limited, especially among immigrants. We examined exclusive e-cigarette and cannabis use and their dual use associated with mental health disorders among immigrants and U.S.-born.

Methods: We analyzed national cross-sectional data collected between May 13, 2021, and January 9, 2022, among adults aged >18 years (n= 4766) living in U.S. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to model the associations of exclusivity and dual-use (reference group= non-use) with anxiety/depression.

Results: The dual-use prevalence was higher than exclusive e-cigarette and cannabis use, especially among U.S.-born (dual use= 14.79% vs. cannabis use= 13.53% vs. e-cigarette use= 7.11%) compared to immigrants (dual use= 8.23% vs. cannabis use= 5.03% vs. e-cigarette use= 6.31%). Immigrants had lower risks of exclusive cannabis and dual use compared to U.S.-born. Anxiety/depression was associated with higher risks of exclusive cannabis use and dual use across immigration status, but was associated with exclusive e-cigarette use among only immigrants. While effect sizes of dual-use associated with anxiety/depression were higher among U.S.-born, the effect sizes of exclusive e-cigarette and cannabis use associated with anxiety/depression were higher among immigrants.

Conclusions: The findings revealed significant mental health risks for e-cigarette, cannabis, and their dual use among immigrants and U.S.-born, especially among U.S.-born. These findings highlight the need for public health research and interventions to consider immigration status-related disparities in substance use.

Keywords: Cannabis use; Disparities; E-cigarette use; Immigration; Mental health disorder; Minority; Sexual and gender identity; Substance use; Tobacco use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Prevalence of e-cigarette use frequency by cannabis use frequency stratified by immigration status among U.S. adults.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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