Summary
Background
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have emerged in the Nigerian market, and if used without
supervision, may have damaging effects on the physical and mental health of users. Therefore,
there is a need to determine the patterns of use, especially among adolescents and
young adults. This study aims to assess the prevalence and factors associated with electronic
cigarette use, as well as the relationship between their use and anxiety among adolescents
and young adults in Lagos, Nigeria.
Method
An online cross-sectional study among participants aged between 15–35 years. The survey
had three sections: sociodemographic information, the pattern of e-cigarette use, and a 7-
item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. Bivariate and multivariable logistic
regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with e-cigarette use. P-values
<0.05 were considered significant. Statistical analysis was done using STATA-15.0
software.
Results
Data from a total of 949 respondents was analysed. Participants had a mean age of 23.36
years (±3.97) and were predominantly female (55.64%). The prevalence of e-cigarette everuse
was 7.9% (95% CI: 5.8,10.0). Older age and being male were independently associated
with higher odds of e-cigarette use. After adjusting for age and sex, alcohol use (p<0.001),
friend’s use (p<0.001), and other tobacco product or substance use (p:0.05) remained significantly
associated with higher odds of e-cigarette use. There was no association between
anxiety levels and e-cigarette use.
Citation
Erinoso O, Oyapero A, Amure M, et al. Electronic cigarette use among adolescents and young adults in Nigeria: Prevalence, associated factors and patterns of use. PloS one. 2021;16(10):1. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0258850
