The impact of cigarette and e-cigarette use history on transition patterns: a longitudinal analysis of the population assessment of tobacco and health (PaTh) study, 2013-2015.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) study, a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of US youth and adults. The study examines transition patterns between cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use over a 1-year period, taking into account cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use histories along with experimental or established use behaviors.

Key Points:

* The study identifies distinct transition probabilities among various types of cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and dual users.
* Exclusive established cigarette smokers without a history of e-cigarette use were more likely to continue smoking cigarettes, while established cigarette smokers with a history of e-cigarette use were more likely to transition to dual use.
* Exclusive established e-cigarette users were less likely to transition to exclusive cigarette smoking, while no statistically significant differences were observed for transitioning to dual use.
* Established dual users were less likely to transition to exclusive cigarette smoking and more likely to remain dual users, relative to switching to exclusive e-cigarette use.
* age and race were found to be statistically significantly associated with certain transitions.
* The study provides realistic transition probabilities that could be used as input parameters in population models to study the health impact of introducing e-cigarettes into the US population.
* The findings suggest that transition behaviors of experimental users are more variable and influenced by tobacco use history, while transition patterns among established users are more static and less influenced by tobacco use history.

Main Message:
The study's analysis of the PaTh study provides valuable insights into transition patterns between cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use, highlighting the importance of considering cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use histories along with experimental or established use behaviors. The identified transition probabilities can be used to inform population models and evaluate the impact of introducing e-cigarettes to the US population, ultimately contributing to a better understanding of the potential public health impact of these products.

Wei L, Muhammad-Kah RS, hannel T, et al. The impact of cigarette and e-cigarette use history on transition patterns: a longitudinal analysis of the population assessment of tobacco and health (PaTh) study, 2013-2015. harm reduction journal. 2020;17(1):45. doi:10.1186/s12954-020-00386-z