State-specific prevalence of current e-cigarette use by disability status and disability type-United States, BRFSS 2016-2018.
Qing C Zhang, Elizabeth A Courtney-Long, Lisa B Sinclair and 3 others
PMID 34391714WHAT IT FOUND
Current e-cigarette use is significantly higher among US adults with disabilities than without.
The disparity is most pronounced in young adults aged 18-24 and those with cognitive disabilities. Clinicians should routinely screen all patients with disabilities for vaping.
Key findings
01The median prevalence of current e-cigarette use was significantly higher among adults with disabilities compared to adults without disabilities (6.5% vs. 4.3%).
02Among young adults aged 18-24 years, the median prevalence of current e-cigarette use was 18.7% among those with disabilities compared to 9.5% among those without disabilities.
03The highest median prevalence of current e-cigarette use was among adults with cognitive disability at 10.0%, which was over 2.4-fold higher than adults without cognitive disabilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey excluded people living in long-term care facilities, who are more likely to have severe disabilities. Participants without a phone were not surveyed, potentially missing another vulnerable group. Disability was self-reported and defined by 'serious difficulty,' meaning people with milder impairments were not counted as having a disability. The study did not assess concurrent cigarette smoking, so it is unclear if e-cigarettes are being used as a substitute or a complement to traditional tobacco.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that e-cigarette use is uniformly elevated across all disability types. Adults with hearing disabilities had significantly lower prevalence of current e-cigarette use than those without hearing disabilities, so screening priorities should be adjusted based on the specific disability type.