Cross-Sectional Association of Lifetime Electronic Cigarette Use with Wheezing and Related Respiratory Symptoms in U.S. Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic cigarette use (vaping) has been found to be associated with respiratory symptoms like wheezing or whistling in the chest. Whether or not lifetime vaping occurrences are associated with wheezing has not yet been investigated. Methods: Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 4 data with 22,233 adults collected from December 2016 to January 2018 were used. The cross-sectional association of lifetime vaping occurrences with wheezing and related respiratory symptoms was examined using multivariable weighted logistic regression models considering the complex sampling design. Results: According to the weighted PATH Wave 4 data, about 89.9% adults never vaped, 3.2% adults vaped one time, 3.2% vaped 2-10 times, 1.3% vaped 11-20 times, 1.1% vaped 21-50 times, 0.4% vaped 51-99 times, and 0.9% vaped 100 or more times in their entire life. Compared to adults who never vaped, adults who vaped 2-10 times had a significantly higher association with ever wheezing (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1 to 1.6), past 12-month wheezing (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.9) and the number of wheezing attacks in the past 12 months (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.8). Adults who vaped 11-20 times and 100 or more times had similar associations with wheezing as that for adults who vaped 2-10 times. Controlling other tobacco use attenuated the associations. Conclusions: Lifetime vaping occurrences were found to be associated with some definitions of self-reported wheezing in cross-sectional analyses adjusted for other tobacco use. Implications: Using the cross-sectional PATH Wave 4 data with 22,233 adults, we found significant associations between lifetime vaping occurrences and ever wheezing or whistling in the chest, past 12 months wheezing or whistling in the chest, as well as the number of wheezing attacks in the past 12 months. The study results suggest that larger studies with more precise time frames and measures are needed to further understand possible connections between vaping experimentation and wheezing symptoms that could inform our understanding of the health effects of electronic cigarettes and resultant policy decisions.