association between e-cigarette use and depression in US cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a cross-sectional study examining the association between e-cigarette use and self-reported clinical depression among cancer survivors in the US. The study uses data from the 2017 and 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and employs multivariable logistic regression to assess the relationship between e-cigarette use and depression in cancer survivors.

Key Points:

* The study sample includes 7,498 cancer survivors, with 22.1% reporting a history of clinical diagnosis of depression.
* The overall prevalence rates for current and former e-cigarette use among cancer survivors are 2.6% and 10.5%, respectively.
* The study found that 51.3% of current e-cigarette users, 40% of former users, and 19.1% of those who had never used e-cigarettes reported a history of clinical depression.
* after adjusting for potential confounders, the study found that current and former e-cigarette use were associated with higher odds of reporting a history of clinical depression in cancer survivors.
* Younger cancer survivors, those who are unemployed or have "other" employment status, those with fair or poor health status, and those who are obese were also more likely to report a history of clinical depression.
* The study did not find a significant association between e-cigarette use and depression in cancer survivors after controlling for combustible cigarette smoking.

Main Message:
The study suggests a statistically significant association between e-cigarette use and depression in cancer survivors. Further research is needed to establish a causal relationship between e-cigarette use and depression in this population. The findings highlight the importance of addressing mental health and e-cigarette use in cancer survivorship programs and underscore the need for clinicians to screen for psychological distress and/or e-cigarette use and make appropriate recommendations.

antwi GO, Rhodes DL. association between e-cigarette use and depression in US cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study. Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice. Published online February 15, 2022. doi:10.1007/s11764-022-01176-1