Article Review #1: Association Between Initial Use of e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette

Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Yesenia Becerra

California State University, Channel Islands

June 29, 2022

Article Review #1: Association Between Initial Use of e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette
Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Soneji, S., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., Wills, T. A., Leventhal, A. M., Unger, J. B., Gibson,
L. A., Yang, J., Primack, B. A., Andrews, J. A., Miech, R. A., Spindle, T. R., Dick, D. M.,
Eissenberg, T., Hornik, R. C., Dang, R., & Sargent, J. D. (2017). Association Between Initial Use
of e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 171(8), 788–797.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1488

Article Summary

The article focuses on conducting research in regards to e-cigarettes and if this leads to
continued smoking within the youth. A research was conducted in order to see if there is an
association between e -cigarette smoking and if that then leads to cigarette smoking. If so, this is
a major public health concern that needs to be addressed because they are the future generation.
E-cigarettes may cause public health harm if they significantly increase the number of young
people who start smoking cigarettes or the number of young people who already smoke
compared to the number of young people who would have begun smoking cigarettes in the
absence of e-cigarettes. That is why this review was conducted in order to establish public health
prevention measures.
The article conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to date of longitudinal
studies to obtain estimates of risk for cigarette smoking associated with e-cigarette use across a
wide range of populations, demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral influences.They follow
the meta analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Their study
selection included 17 389 adolescents and young adults, ages ranged between 14 and 30 years
and 56.0% were female. They observed never cigarette smokers by their baseline e-cigarette
use, then compared e-cigarette users with never e-cigarette users by using a random-effects
meta-analysis model which included data such as demographics, psychosocial, and behavioral
risk factors for cigarette smoking. As a result, there were 9 longitudinal studies that were
consistent that e-cigarette use is associated with an increased risk of starting in the future to
cigarette smoke and those who are current smokers. It also resulted in a strong risk factor for
cigarette smoking among adolescents and young adults. As well as early nicotine dependence in
the youth. This study at the end resulted in a correlation with e-cigarettes users turning over into
smoking cigarettes in the future.
This is why there need to be policies put into place for e-cigarettes in the US.
Government, federal, state and local governments all need to work together in order to deliver
new health policies regarding e-cigarettes and the dangers it brings to the future generations.
According to the CDC, there are about 34.3 million smokers in the USA. ( CDC, 2018)

Article’s Purpose & Results

The purpose of this article was to see if e-cigarette users then go on to smoking cigarettes
in the future and if there is a correlation between these two. If so, public health measures need to
be taken seriously. According to the study, they had 9 cases that indicated there is a strong
correlation between e-cigarette usage and it leading to smoking cigarettes in the future. This
study was a Longitudinal study, where they studied individuals who had not smoked an
e-cigarette and were cigarette smokers and they followed up with cigarettes. They also had
e-cigarette users who then followed up with cigarettes, and according to the results many ended
up continuing to smoke cigarettes. If there are stronger policies and regulations in the use of
e-cigarettes this can help lower the number of cigarette smoking in the future.

Indications for Further Research

According to the results, they did state they could have gotten better results if it was a
long term study. Such as seeing what the long term effects are. This study mainly focused on the
short term early stages of the adolescent smoking process. They need to focus more in long term
study in order to see what are the effects of the individuals who become nicotine dependent. I
feel like we know what the longer term effects lead to because of many other studies that have
been conducted. There have been studies that suggested that even early use of nicotine leads to
stronger nicotine dependence and this escalates how much you smoke in the future. (Doubeni,
Reed, & Difranza, 2010) With this research I feel it brings into light how important the measure
of prevention within children, adolescents and young adults is regarding e-cigarette usage. We
need to continue to enforce strong policies against the ENDS which is Electronic Nicotine
Delivery Systems Electronic. Today according to the national youth tobacco survey, it showed
that 3.6 million students in middle and high school were using e-cigs in 2018 and only in 2017 it
was 2.1 million. (Bhalerao et al., 2019) Many states have been working on enforcing stronger
policies but unfortunately not all states have these policies in place. An example of the policies
that are around is the Tobacco 21 laws in which several states have increased the minimum age
of sale of tobacco products to 21. As of June 2019, 16 states implemented this. (Bhalerao et al.,
2019) Yet there is still much more work that needs to be done.
 Conclusion.

All things considered, e-cigarette use within adolescents and young adults will continue
to increase if no effective changes are made in federal, state, or local levels. This article
demonstrates how early usage of e-cigarettes leads to smoking cigarettes in the future and there
is a strong correlation between them. We need to implement changes and prevention methods
within the country because this will hurt the future generation.
References

Soneji, S., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., Wills, T. A., Leventhal, A. M., Unger, J. B., Gibson, L. A.,
Yang, J., Primack, B. A., Andrews, J. A., Miech, R. A., Spindle, T. R., Dick, D. M., Eissenberg,
T., Hornik, R. C., Dang, R., & Sargent, J. D. (2017). Association Between Initial Use of
e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 171(8), 788–797.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1488

Bhalerao, A., Sivandzade, F., Archie, S. R., & Cucullo, L. (2019). Public Health Policies on
E-Cigarettes. Current cardiology reports, 21(10), 111.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-019-1204-y

Prevention, C.f.D.C.a. Current cigarette smoking among adults in the United States. Smoking &
tobacco use, 2017.
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm.

Doubeni, C. A., Reed, G., & Difranza, J. R. (2010). Early course of nicotine dependence in
adolescent smokers. Pediatrics, 125(6), 1127–1133. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-0238