Patterns of E-Cigarette Use Among Cardiac Inpatients at a Tertiary-Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Background

E-cigarettes are promoted for smoking cessation due to their having lower toxicity than cigarettes, but they are often used recreationally and linked to cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health risks. Clinicians must understand usage patterns and influencing factors to guide patients in reducing or quitting their use.

Methods

We surveyed consecutive cardiac inpatients admitted to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute between November 2019 and May 2020. Surveys were conducted in-person or via telephone. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine factors associated with vaping status.

Results

During the evaluation, 1616 cardiac patients were admitted and discharged; 124 (7.7%) were ineligible, and 403 (24.9%) refused or were unreachable. A total of 1089 (73.0%) completed the survey. Among them, 10.3% had ever vaped, and 5.5% were current vapers. Of ever-users, 66.1% used vaping to quit smoking. Adjusted analysis showed that younger age, tobacco co-use, secondhand exposure at home, and lower education levels were significantly associated with e-cigarette use.

Conclusions

This evaluation found a low overall rate of e-cigarette use among cardiac inpatients. However, e-cigarette use was more common among younger patients, tobacco users, and those exposed to tobacco or e-cigarettes at home. These factors highlight the importance of advising patients to reduce their exposure to tobacco and e-cigarettes in their home and social environments, as doing so may improve their chances of quitting. Incorporating future prospective research in additional populations and settings would help support the generalizability of these results and assess their impact on clinical outcomes.