Motivations for using electronic cigarettes in young adults: A systematic review

Shérazade Kinouani (1) , Chloé Leflot (2) , Paul Vanderkam (3) , Marc Auriacombe (4) , Emmanuel Langlois (5) , Christophe Tzourio (6, 1)

1 BPH - Bordeaux population health
2 UB - Université de Bordeaux
3 DMG - Département de médecine générale [Université de Poitiers] = Department of General Practice [University of Poitiers]
4 Laboratoire de psychologie clinique et de psychopathologie
5 CED - Centre Émile Durkheim
6 Neuroépidémiologie

Background: The most common reasons why adults use e-cigarettes are to stop or reduce tobacco smoking. However, it is unclear if this reason is evenly distributed between young and older adults. Objectives: describe the motivations for e-cigarette use amongst young adults aged 18-25 and compare the reasons for using e-cigarettes of people who currently or formerly used tobacco products to those who had never smoked tobacco prior e-cigarette use. Methods: PubMed®, Scopus®, Cochrane Library®, SocINDEX®, PsycARTICLES®, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection® and PsycINFO® databases were used. English written articles were screened up to March 2018. Depending on study design, quality was assessed using The STROBE or RATS checklists. Results: Six articles were included in the review, all with a moderate quality of evidence. Independently of smoking status, curiosity was the most frequently reported reason for initiating the use of e-cigarettes in young adults. Reasons for continuing to use e-cigarettes were various. The continued use of e-cigarettes could be either a means to replicate smoking habits, or a way for a different and personalized use of nicotine by inhalation. Conclusions: Reasons for using e-cigarettes in young adults are varied and are not limited to stopping smoking.

Mots clés: health risk behaviors; systematic review; motivation; young adults; smoking; Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS); e-cigarettes

Domaines: Sociologie; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Shérazade Kinouani, Chloé Leflot, Paul Vanderkam, Marc Auriacombe, Emmanuel Langlois, et al.. Motivations for using electronic cigarettes in young adults: A systematic review. Substance Abuse, 2020, 41 (3), pp.315-332. ⟨10.1080/08897077.2019.1671937⟩. ⟨halshs-02401948⟩