A new study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health has found that vaping is associated with an increased risk of asthma in adolescents who have never smoked traditional tobacco products.
The study, published in Preventive Medicine, examined data from a national survey to identify the connection between vaping and asthma, as well as factors that may influence e-cigarette use among adolescents.
The Study
The research team used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a CDC-established national health dataset, which collected information between 2015 and 2019.
The analysis included more than 3,000 adolescents aged 13-17 in Texas and over 32,000 adolescents nationally.
The survey inquired about e-cigarette use, frequency of use in the past 30 days, and whether the respondents had ever been diagnosed with asthma.
Key Findings
The study found a significant association between e-cigarette use and asthma in adolescents who had never smoked traditional tobacco products.
This suggests that vaping alone increases the risk of asthma, independently of any effects from traditional tobacco products.
The researchers also identified that adolescents with depressive symptoms, as well as those who used other substances like alcohol and conventional cigarettes, were more likely to use e-cigarettes.
Interestingly, Hispanic adolescents in Texas were less likely to have used e-cigarettes compared to their non-Hispanic White peers. However, this trend did not extend to the broader U.S. population, warranting further investigation.
Implications and Future Directions
Dr. Taehyun Roh, the lead author of the study, recommends increasing public awareness about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, implementing stricter regulations, and promoting alternative coping mechanisms for mental health as potential strategies to mitigate e-cigarette use.
Given the health burdens of asthma and the growing prevalence of e-cigarette use among adolescents, these findings could be crucial in shaping public health policies aimed at reducing vaping among youth.
The study adds another layer to the growing body of evidence about the health risks associated with vaping, particularly among younger populations who may be most vulnerable to its effects.
If you care about smoking, please read studies about smoking may increase heart disease risk by 200% and e-cigarette smoke may cause lung cancer and bladder disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about the cause of weight gain after smoking cessation, and results showing smoking may cause white scars on the brain.
The research findings can be found in Preventive Medicine.
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