Electronic cigarette use and suicidal behaviors among adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the use of e-cigarettes, which are regarded as alternatives to traditional cigarettes and are easy to purchase, with suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Methods Data for 5405 middle and high school students aged 13–18 years who had used e-cigarettes were extracted from the 2016 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey and analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results Among those who used e-cigarettes for 1–30 days in the past 30 days, suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% CI, 1.31–1.89), suicidal plans (OR = 2.44, 95% CI, 1.94–3.08), suicidal attempts (OR = 2.44, 95% CI, 1.85–3.22) and serious attempts (OR = 3.09, 95% CI, 1.51–6.32) were higher compared to those who did not use an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. Conclusions Suicidal behaviors are significantly higher among current adolescent e-cigarette smokers than adolescents who have not used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. Therefore, comprehensive intervention is needed to protect adolescents’ mental health.