Prevalence and factors associated with e-cigarettes consumption among adolescents: A cross-sectional analysis in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

E-cigarette use among adolescents has increased globally; however, there is little evidence about usage patterns and their associated factors in Latin America and the Caribbean. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and evaluate the factors associated with e-cigarette use among adolescents in 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries. A secondary data analysis was performed using the Global Youth Tobacco Survey collected between 2014 and 2022. Age-standardized prevalences and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated, and Poisson regression models were used to identify associated factors, reporting prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% CIs. Data from 55,330 adolescents were analyzed. The prevalence of e-cigarette use in the past 30 days was 8.0% (95% CI: 6.9%–9.3%), whereas daily use was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.5%–1.1%), with significant differences by sex (p = 0.002). Factors associated with e-cigarette use were older age (PR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.17-1.41), exposure to tobacco smoke at home (PR = 2.25; 95%CI: 1.46-3.46) and at school (PR = 2.16; 95%CI: 1.77-2.62). On the other hand, daily use was associated with sex (PR = 0.35; 95%CI: 0.17-0.73), spending capacity (PR = 4.01; 95%CI: 1.94-8.27) and exposure to smoking at home (PR = 3.47; 95%CI: 1.54-7.80). Among adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean, e-cigarette use was significant and depended on the indicator used. Any e-cigarette use was associated with older age, smoking exposure at home and at school, whereas daily e-cigarette use was greater among men, and associated with spending capacity and smoking exposure at home. These findings underscore the need to strengthen public policies that restrict access to these products and promote tobacco- and vaping-free school and home environments.