Understanding the role of e-cigarette use in smoking cessation based on the stages of change model.

Objective
We explored the role of e-cigarette use in smoking cessation based on the stages of change
(SOC) model, which is a framework for describing the process of smoking cessation.
Methods
We used nationwide, cross-sectional data on adults (19+ years) from the seventh Korea
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2016–2018) and restricted
the participants to 3,929 recent smokers, consisting of current smokers and recent quitters
(�2 years). A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to reveal the relationships
between e-cigarette use and cigarette quitting behaviors (e.g., current quitting status,
past quit attempts, intention to quit, and duration of quitting) and all stages in smoking cessation,
with adjustment for sociodemographic and smoking-related factors.
Results
E-cigarette use was positively related to past quit attempts, while not having quit, intention
to quit, and longer duration of quitting. Based on the cessation stages, current and former ecigarette
users were significantly more likely to be in the ‘Precontemplation’ and ‘Contemplation’
stages than never users, while not to be in the ‘Preparation’ and ‘Action’ stages. Current
users were particularly less likely to be in the ‘Maintenance’ stage compared to never users.
Conclusion
E-cigarette use was closely linked with early-stage behavior than late-stage behavior in the
smoking cessation process. E-cigarettes might promote quit attempts and short-term quitting
in some smokers, but the negative role of inducing smokers to continue cigarette smoking
with no immediate quit-intention for future attempts is dominant in the real world.

Yoon W, Cho I, Cho SI. Understanding the role of e-cigarette use in smoking cessation based on the stages of change model. PloS one. 2022;17(9):1. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274311