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Cited by 70Smoking Behavior and CessationPrenatal Substance Exposure EffectsSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

E-Cigarette Use Patterns and High-Risk Behaviors in Pregnancy: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016–2018

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Obisesan, Olufunmilayo H., Osei, Albert D., Uddin, S.M. Iftekhar, Dzaye, Omar, Cainzos-Achirica, Miguel, Mirbolouk, Mohammadhassan, Orimoloye, Olusola A., Sharma, Garima +7 more·2020·American Journal of Preventive Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.02.015PMC PMC8349302
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Abstract

Introduction The prevalence of e-cigarette use has increased dramatically in the last decade in the U.S. Understanding the prevalence, patterns of use, and risk factor associations of e-cigarette use in pregnant women is particularly important, as this could have potential health implications for the mother and the developing child. Methods Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey data from 2016 to 2018, adult women of reproductive age (18-49 years) who reported being pregnant (n=7,434) were studied. Self-reported current e-cigarette use was the main exposure. Other measures included combustible cigarette smoking status and high-risk behaviors (including other tobacco, marijuana, or heavy alcohol use; binge drinking; and others). All analyses were done in 2019. Results Approximately 2.2% of pregnant women reported current e-cigarette use, of whom 0.6% reported daily use. The highest prevalence of e-cigarette use was observed in the youngest age group of pregnant women (3.2%), with 41.7% of all pregnant current e-cigarette users being aged 18-24 years. There was a marked increase in the prevalence of current use of e-cigarettes among pregnant women from 1.9% in 2016 to 3.8% in 2018. Approximately 46% of pregnant current e-cigarette users reported concomitant cigarette smoking. Compared with pregnant never e-cigarette users, pregnant current e-cigarette users had a higher prevalence of other tobacco product use, marijuana use, heavy alcohol intake, binge drinking, and other high-risk behaviors. Conclusions These findings underscore the need to strengthen prevention and policy efforts, specifically in the vulnerable subgroup of pregnant women.

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  • Nearly all pregnant women who vape are likely to be current or former smokers.

    “as nearly all pregnant women who vape are likely to be current or former smokers [14, 60–62]”

    From Vaping during pregnancy: a systematic review of health outcomes. (2024) · cites this paper as [60]

    The Results report that 30.3% of pregnant current e-cigarette users had never smoked combustible cigarettes. That is contrary to the claim that nearly all pregnant women who vape are current or former smokers. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Where the risk of exclusive-vaping was reported, it is possible that this heightened risk is largely due to high levels of smoking at times beyond the assessment period or concurrent unreported smoking.

    “Thus, where the risk of exclusive-vaping was reported, as nearly all pregnant women who vape are likely to be current or former smokers [14, 60–62] it is possible that this heightened risk is largely due to high levels of smoking at times beyond the assessment period or concurrent unreported smoking.”

    From Vaping during pregnancy: a systematic review of health outcomes. (2024) · cites this paper as [60]

    The citation is attached to the assertion that nearly all pregnant women who vape are current or former smokers. The Results (page unavailable) instead report that 30.3% of pregnant current e-cigarette users had never smoked combustible cigarettes, contrary to “nearly all.” The paper does not establish the proposed explanation involving smoking outside the assessment period or unreported concurrent smoking. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Obisesan, O. H., Osei, A. D., Uddin, S. M. I., Dzaye, O., Cainzos-Achirica, M., Mirbolouk, M., Orimoloye, O. A., Sharma, G., Al Rifai, M., Stokes, A., Bhatnagar, A., El Shahawy, O., Benjamin, E. J., DeFilippis, A. P., & Blaha, M. J.
Affiliations
  • American Heart Association (US)
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Yale New Haven Hospital (US)
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
  • Boston University (US)
Corresponding author
Blaha, Michael J.
ORCID
Venue
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-08
Volume
59
Issue
2
Pages
187-195
ISSN
0749-3797 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.amepre.2020.02.015
PMC
PMC8349302
OpenAlex
W3021979536
Cited by
70
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 4
FWCI
5.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Food and Drug Administration
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
vaping, pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, combustible cigarette smoking, cannabis use, binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, tobacco product use, high-risk behaviors, adolescent pregnancy, prevalence trends, maternal and child health
MeSH terms
Vaping, Adolescent, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Pregnancy, Risk-Taking, Prevalence, Pregnant Women, Pregnant People, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Young Adult, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

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