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. 2024 Nov:188:108020.
doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108020. Epub 2024 May 29.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS): Frequency of use and smoking-cessation efforts among U.S. women of reproductive age

Sulamunn R M Coleman  1 , Janice Y Bunn  2 , Elias M Klemperer  3 , Marc Jerome P Feinstein  3 , Stephen T Higgins  4
Affiliations

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS): Frequency of use and smoking-cessation efforts among U.S. women of reproductive age

Sulamunn R M Coleman et al. Prev Med. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: Reducing harm from combustible cigarette use among women of reproductive age (WRA) is critical given their potential vulnerability to multigenerational adverse impacts of cigarette smoking. Although electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are not approved smoking cessation aids in the US, many WRA who smoke report using ENDS to help quit smoking. Associations between ENDS use patterns and smoking-cessation efforts among US WRA remain unclear.

Methods: Using the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, we examined whether baseline (Wave 3 or 4) ENDS use frequency predicted (a) making a cigarette quit attempt (QA) and (b) successful quitting by follow-up (Wave 4 or 5, respectively) among WRA (N = 2834; 72.1% non-Hispanic White).

Results: Daily ENDS use predicted greater adjusted odds of making a QA than non-daily (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.03, 2.59) and no ENDS use (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.23, 3.14), and greater odds of successful smoking cessation than non-daily use (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.31, 4.26). Daily ENDS use did not significantly improve odds of successful smoking cessation compared to no ENDS use (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.97, 2.69). Non-daily ENDS use did not significantly improve odds of making a QA (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.94, 1.56) and hindered successful smoking cessation compared to no ENDS use (AOR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.98).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that benefits of ENDS for smoking cessation in WRA may be greatest among those who use ENDS daily. WRA who choose to use ENDS to help quit would be well-informed by evidence that non-daily ENDS use may impede smoking cessation.

Keywords: Combusted cigarettes; Dual use; E-cigarettes; ENDS; Smoking cessation; Women of reproductive age.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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