Young E-Cigarette Users Report Higher Levels of Chronic Stress

TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Young electronic cigarette users are more likely to report having chronic stress than nonusers, according to a study presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2023, held from Sept. 9 to 13 in Milan.

Teresa To, Ph.D., from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and colleagues used data from participants (ages 15 to 30 years) in the Canadian Health Measures Survey to compare physical activity (daily steps), physiological measurements, self-perceived stress, mental health, and quality of life (QOL) between e-cigarette users (ever; 115 individuals) and nonusers (never; 790 individuals).

The researchers found that when adjusting for confounders, e-cigarette users had significantly higher odds of being physically active (odds ratio, 2.19; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.14 to 4.20) and having self-reported extreme chronic stress (odds ratio, 2.68; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.45 to 4.92) compared with nonusers. E-cigarette users also tended to have higher odds of poorer quality of life (odds ratio, 1.12; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 1.95) but lower odds of other health morbidities (high blood pressure or blood sugar; lower levels of high-density lipoprotein), although these findings were not statistically significant.

"At the time of the study, this group of young people had good physical health overall; however, we need to study the effects of e-cigarettes in the longer term to understand their impact on young people's health," To said in a statement. "We know that stress induces oxidative stress and inflammation in the body and these play an important role in the risk of developing chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

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