Electronic cigarette use among Korean adults (original) (raw)

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Abstract

Objectives

We investigated the prevalence and correlates of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use in a representative sample of Korean adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2013. We analyzed 5338 subjects (≥19 years old) who provided data on e-cigarette use, sex, age, socioeconomic status, and health risk behaviors. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression.

Results

Using weighted samples, the prevalence of ever and current e-cigarette use were 6.6 and 1.1 %, respectively (11.2 and 2.0 % in men and 2.0 and 0.4 % in women). In multivariate analysis, the probability of ever e-cigarette use was highest in current smokers (OR 29.3, 95 % CI 15.5–55.3), former smokers (OR 6.1, 95 % CI 3.3–11.2), and daily heavy drinkers (OR 1.9, 95 % CI 1.1–3.4). Current e-cigarette use was associated with current smoking (OR 16.2, 95 % CI 4.7–55.4) and weekly heavy drinking (OR 2.7, 95 % CI 1.1–6.7).

Conclusions

E-cigarette use was strongly associated with conventional cigarette use and with frequent heavy drinking. Dual use e-cigarettes and conventional cigarette use as well as the association between heavy alcohol use and e-cigarettes need further exploration.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olymphic-Ro 43-Gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 138-736, South Korea
   Jung Ah Lee, Sun Hee Kim & Hong-Jun Cho

Authors

1. Jung Ah Lee
2. Sun Hee Kim
3. Hong-Jun Cho

Corresponding author

Correspondence toHong-Jun Cho.

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Additional information

This article is part of the special issue "Electronic Cigarettes and Public Health".

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Lee, J.A., Kim, S.H. & Cho, HJ. Electronic cigarette use among Korean adults.Int J Public Health 61, 151–157 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0763-y

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• Received: 30 June 2015
• Revised: 01 November 2015
• Accepted: 04 November 2015
• Published: 13 November 2015
• Issue date: March 2016
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0763-y

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