An International Systematic Review of Prevalence, Risk, and Protective Factors Associated with Young People’s E-Cigarette Use

Abstract

While the prevalence of young people’s conventional cigarette use has decreased in many countries, the use of e-cigarettes has risen. To effectively counteract the growing popularity of e-cigarettes among young people internationally, researchers should know the exact prevalence as well as the protective and risk factors associated with vaping. Based on five eligibility criteria, 53 articles were chosen and analyzed by general characteristics, prevalence, sample characteristics, gender difference, protective factors, and risk factors. In this study, the international pooled prevalence of young people’s lifetime e-cigarette use was 15.3%, the current use was 7.7%, and dual use was 4.0%. While the highest lifetime, current, and dual prevalence were found in Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom, respectively, the lowest prevalence was found in Germany, followed by South Korea and Sweden. Some protective and risk factors include perceived cost and danger of vaping, parental monitoring, internal developmental assets, cigarette use, family and peer smoking, exposure to online advertisements, and the presence of nearby retail stores. Based on this review, researchers and practitioners can develop different intervention programs and strategies for young smokers.