An examination of how e-cigarette/cigarette use during adolescence is associated with future use during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the association between e-cigarette and cigarette use during adolescence and their impact on use during the third trimester of pregnancy in young adulthood. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study and employs binary logistic regression models to assess the association between past 30-day use of cigarettes/e-cigarettes during adolescence and their use during the last 3 months of pregnancy among young women.

Key Points:

* The study used data from the PATH Study, a nationally representative panel of adolescents assessed at four time points.
* The analysis focused on the female adolescent longitudinal sample that aged into and completed the adult survey at Waves 3 and 4.
* Past 30-day cigarette and e-cigarette use were measured with two question items and combined responses at Wave 1 and 2 to assess any past 30-day cigarette or e-cigarette use during adolescence.
* Respondents who indicated pregnancy during the past year were asked about cigarette and e-cigarette use during the last 3 months of pregnancy.
* Binary logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between history of past 30-day use of cigarettes/e-cigarettes during adolescence and cigarette/e-cigarette use during the last 3 months of pregnancy.
* Among young women who indicated a pregnancy during the past year, 18.9% indicated smoking cigarettes and 4.2% indicated using e-cigarettes during their last trimester.
* Cigarette smoking in adolescence was associated with cigarette use during the last trimester, but e-cigarette use during adolescence was not associated with either cigarette or e-cigarette use during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Main Message:
The main message of the text is that tobacco/nicotine prevention in early adolescence has implications for preventing tobacco/nicotine-related harms during pregnancy among young adults. Intervention programs and clinicians informed about various types of tobacco/nicotine are needed to address tobacco/nicotine cessation among adolescents to prevent consequences of tobacco/nicotine use during pregnancy.

Beck DC, Boyd CJ, Evans-Polce R, McCabe SE, Veliz PT. An examination of how e-cigarette/cigarette use during adolescence is associated with future use during the third trimester of pregnancy. Substance abuse. 2022;43(1):344-348. doi:10.1080/08897077.2021.1941519