An examination of how e-cigarette/cigarette use during adolescence is associated with future use during the third trimester of pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Adolescent e-cigarette use has increased, as has e-cigarette use during pregnancy, yet little is known about how these types of tobacco/nicotine (cigarettes/e-cigarettes) use during adolescence are associated with tobacco/nicotine use during the third trimester of pregnancy among young adults. Methods: National longitudinal data (2013–2018) from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study were used. Young adults ages 18–20 who indicated past-year pregnancy made up the analytic sample (N = 246). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between history of past 30-day use of cigarettes/e-cigarettes during adolescence (i.e., 14–17) and later use during the third trimester of pregnancy among young women (i.e., 18–20). Results: Within the sample of young women who indicated a pregnancy during the past year, 18.9% indicated smoking cigarettes and 4.2% indicated using e-cigarettes during their last trimester. Cigarette smoking in adolescence (wave 1 or 2) was associated with cigarette use during the last trimester (aOR = 4.76, 95% CI = 1.36, 16.6); however, e-cigarette use during adolescence was not associated with either cigarette or e-cigarette use during the third trimester of pregnancy. Conclusions: Tobacco/nicotine prevention in early adolescence has implications for preventing tobacco/nicotine-related harms during pregnancy among young adults. Intervention programs and clinicians informed about various types of tobacco/nicotine are needed to address tobacco/nicotine cessation among adolescents to prevent consequences of tobacco/nicotine use during pregnancy.

Keywords:

• E-cigarettes
• cigarettes
• pregnancy
• adolescent

Additional information

Funding

Supported by grants [R01 DA044157] (C. J. Boyd) and [R01 CA203809] (S. E. McCabe) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dana Beck is supported by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations through the VA/National Clinician Scholars Program and the University of Michigan. The contents do not represent the view of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.