ArticlePloS one2024
Longitudinal association between e-cigarette use and respiratory symptoms among US adults: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Waves 4-5.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of e-Cigarette and Cigarette Use and Dual Use Associations With Disease: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)Pooled it
- Adverse symptoms attributed to e-cigarettes over 6 months among participants of a randomized controlled trial testing nicotine free-base e-cigarettes for smoking cessation: secondary analysis of the ESTxENDS trial.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2026Trial
- Emerging multisystem disease mechanisms of e-cigarette vaping on human health.Toxicology reports · 2026Review
- Differences in respiratory wheezing between current exclusive e-cigarette users, current exclusive cigarette smokers, and never users of either product: findings from a population-based study.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Association between electronic cigarette use and respiratory outcomes among people with no established smoking history: a comprehensive review and critical appraisal.Internal and emergency medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWe assessed longitudinal effects of e-cigarette use on respiratory symptoms in a nationally representative sample of US adults by combustible tobacco smoking status.
methodsWe analyzed Waves 4-5 public-use data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Study sample included adult respondents who reported no diagnosis of respiratory diseases at Wave 4, and completed Waves 4-5 surveys with no missing data on analytic variables (N = 15,291). Outcome was a validated index of functionally important respiratory symptoms based on 7 wheezing/cough questions (range 0-9). An index score of ≥2 was defined as having important respiratory symptoms. Weighted lagged logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between e-cigarette use status at Wave 4 (former/current vs. never use) and important respiratory symptoms at Wave 5 by combustible tobacco smoking status (i.e., never/former/current smokers), adjusting for Wave 4 respiratory symptom index, sociodemographic characteristics, secondhand smoke exposure, body mass index, and chronic disease.
resultsAmong current combustible tobacco smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with increased odds of reporting important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.81; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17-2.06). Among former combustible tobacco smokers, former e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06-2.15)-but not current e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.91-2.78)-was associated with increased odds of important respiratory symptoms. Among never combustible tobacco smokers, no significant association was detected between e-cigarette use and important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.76-3.46; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.27-2.56).
conclusionsThe association between e-cigarette use and respiratory symptoms varied by combustible tobacco smoking status. Current combustible tobacco smokers who use e-cigarettes have an elevated risk of respiratory impairments.
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