Tobacco and nicotine delivery product use in a U.S. national sample of women of reproductive age

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the prevalence and correlates of tobacco and nicotine delivery product use among women of reproductive age in the United States. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) survey and focuses on women who were not pregnant at the time of survey completion. The study estimates the prevalence and correlates of tobacco/nicotine use across a broad list of commercially available products in a national sample of women of reproductive age.

Key Points:

* The study found that cigarette smoking prevalence remains relatively high among women of reproductive age and is strongly correlated with use of other tobacco products.
* The use of emerging tobacco and nicotine products appears to be largely, although not exclusively, restricted to current cigarette smokers.
* The study found that 20.1% of women were current smokers, 5.9% were current e-cigarette users, 4.9% were current cigar smokers, and 6.5% were current hookah users.
* Prevalence of current use of other tobacco products was less than 1.0%.
* Current cigarette smoking was the strongest correlate of current e-cigarette use, cigar smoking, and hookah use.
* Among former cigarette smokers, 3.8%, 6.9%, and 3.2% were also currently using e-cigarettes, hookah, and cigars, respectively.
* Use of other tobacco and nicotine delivery products was low among those who never smoked tobacco cigarettes: 2.5% used hookah and less than 1.0% used other products.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of monitoring tobacco and nicotine use in women of reproductive age due to the additional risk of adverse health impacts should they become pregnant. Clinicians working with cigarette smokers should assess for use of other tobacco products. The study also underscores the need for additional tobacco regulatory and control strategies to reduce cigarette smoking in this vulnerable population, such as reducing nicotine content in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products, increasing health messaging about tobacco use unique to women, and preventing initiation of cigarette smoking among girls and young women.

Lopez, Alexa A., Ryan Redner, Allison N. Kurti, Diana R. Keith, Andrea C. Villanti, Cassandra A. Stanton, Diann E. Gaalema, et al. “Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Product Use in a U.S. National Sample of Women of Reproductive Age.” Preventive Medicine 117 (December 2018): 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.03.001.