Intersection of E-Cigarette Use and Gender on Transitions in Cigarette Smoking Status: Findings Across Waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

Introduction:
This text summarizes the findings of a study examining the relationship between e-cigarette use, gender, and transitions in cigarette smoking status. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study and employs binary logistic regression analysis to assess the associations. The key points and main message of the study are summarized below.

Key Points:
• The study found that daily e-cigarette users had higher odds of quitting smoking compared to never users.
• Daily and nondaily e-cigarette users were at greater risk of smoking relapse compared to never users.
• Women were less likely to quit smoking compared to men, independent of e-cigarette use.
• In men, daily and nondaily e-cigarette users had increased odds of smoking relapse compared to men who were never e-cigarette users.
• The study found no significant impact of e-cigarette use on women's ability to quit or stay quit.
• The analysis was limited to data collected at two assessment timepoints.
• E-cigarette use and cigarette smoking behavior were self-reported and may be subject to response bias or under-reporting.
• The number of daily e-cigarette users in the study was relatively small, which may affect the findings.

Main Message:
The study highlights the potential of e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation, but also identifies the potential risk of smoking relapse in men. The findings emphasize the need for further research to inform regulatory policy on the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. The development of guidelines regarding time-limited use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid may be necessary as they may become iatrogenic over time. Future work should also assess the safety and benefit-cost ratio of e-cigarette use in smokers.

Verplaetse, Terril L, Kelly E Moore, Brian P Pittman, Walter Roberts, Lindsay M Oberleitner, Mac Kenzie R Peltier, Robyn Hacker, Kelly P Cosgrove, and Sherry A McKee. “Intersection of E-Cigarette Use and Gender on Transitions in Cigarette Smoking Status: Findings Across Waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, September 19, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty187.