The Association of Electronic Cigarette Use and the Subjective Domains of Physical and Mental Health: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey.

Introduction:
This text discusses a study that aimed to examine the association between e-cigarette use and subjectively reported health domains. The study used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, a nationwide telephone-based questionnaire of a random sample of U.S. residents regarding health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and the use of preventive services.

Key Points:

* The study found that e-cigarette use was associated with less favorable perceived physical and mental health as compared to never use.
* Former and current e-cigarette use were associated with a less favorable perception of health in various domains compared to never users.
* The association between e-cigarette use and perceived health was consistent across different age groups, gender, race or ethnicity, and cigarette smoking status.
* The study controlled for comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypercholesterolemia, history of myocardial infarction, history of stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
* The study used survey weights to ensure the representativeness of the data to the US population.
* The study used weighted multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity poverty level, education, heavy alcohol use, employment status, marital status, and cigarette smoking.
* The study analyzed data from the 2016 and 2017 BRFSS survey, which included participants in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories.

Main Message:
The study suggests that e-cigarette use is associated with a less favorable perception of physical and mental health as compared to never use. These results have important implications for clinicians for patient counseling and regulatory agencies to regulate e-cigarette sales. The study provides evidence that can be used by government agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, to regulate the marketing or sale of e-cigarettes to vulnerable individuals such as younger adults who may be prone to using e-cigarettes due to poor perceived physical or mental health.

Al Rifai M, Mirbolouk M, Obisesan OH, et al. The Association of Electronic Cigarette Use and the Subjective Domains of Physical and Mental Health: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey. Cureus. 2020;12(2):1. doi:10.7759/cureus.7088