Abstracto

Adolescent smoking: The relationship between cigarette smoking,E-cigarette smoking and BMI.

Molly Jacobs

Background: There has been rapid growth in ever and current electronic cigarette (e-cigarettes) use over the past 4 years. Use is highest among adolescents and current cigarette smokers. This trend follows a rise in the number of overweight and obese adolescents and teens. This study examined the relationship between BMI and the use of both electronic and conventional cigarette in high school aged youth. Methods: Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)-a nationally representative survey of 9th through 12th grade students conducted every two years-was used for analysis. Two different statistical models-a multinomial logit (mlogit) and quantile regression (QR) of BMI levels-tested the relationship between BMI and electronic/conventional cigarette use among adolescents. Results: BMI was positively related to age, race, and ethnicity. Those who use either conventional or electronic cigarettes had higher BMI than those using neither product. Magnitude vary by demographic groups, particularly among women. While solitary product use was associated with elevated weight, simultaneous use of both products was associated with lower BMI values. Overweight and obese adolescents were more frequent tobacco users than other weight classes. Associations were impervious to model specification. Conclusion: Findings showed that use of either conventional and electronic cigarettes was associated with higher BMI. However, these findings suggest the need for additional research into the health impacts of substance use by adolescents. Research into the physical, emotional and psychological health impacts of electronic tobacco needs to be fully explored as it continues to grow in popularity among adolescents.