Background
Methods
Study design
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Study questionnaire
Sample size
Recruitment of participants and settings
Data collection
Data analysis
Results
Baseline characteristic of the participants
Characteristics | Dual users n = 146 | Single user n = 69 | Total participants (n = 215) | P value (2-tailed) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age | 23 (19–40) | 23 (19–39) | 23 (19–40) | 0.946* |
Sex | ||||
Male | 145 (98) | 69 (98.6) | 214 (98.2) | 1.0 |
Female | 3 (2) | 1 (1.4) | 4 (1.8) | |
Marital status | ||||
Married | 22 (14.9) | 19 (27.1) | 41 (18.8) | 0.041 |
Single | 126 (85.1) | 51 (72.9) | 177 (81.2) | |
Race | ||||
Malay | 127 (85.8) | 61 (87.1) | 188 (86.2) | 0.632 |
Chinese | 19 (12.8) | 7 (10) | 26 (11.9) | |
Indian | 2 (1.4) | 2 (2.9) | 4 (1.8) | |
Education | ||||
Primary | – | – | – | |
secondary | 39 (26.4) | 19 (27.1) | 58 (26.6) | 0.902 |
Diploma/Degree | 109 (73.6) | 51 (72.9) | 160 (73.4) | |
Occupation | ||||
Private | 70 (47.3) | 38 (54.3) | 108 (49.5) | 0.535 |
Government | 13 (8.8) | 6 (8.6) | 19 (8.7) | |
Self-employment | 15 (10.1) | 9 (12.9) | 24 (11) | |
Students | 50 (33.8) | 17 (24.3) | 67 (30.7) | |
Income | ||||
00♀ | 50 (33.8) | 17 (24.3) | 67 (30.7) | 0.468 |
< 2500 MYR# | 2 (1.4) | 2 (2.9) | 4 (1.8) | |
≥ 2500–5000 MYR | 89 (60.1) | 48 (68.6) | 137 (62.8) | |
> 5000 MYR | 7 (4.7) | 3 (4.3) | 10 (4.6) | |
EC-MFTND | 3 (1–7) | 3 (1–7) | 3 (1–7) | 0.668 |
EC-MGNVBQ | 14 (3–22) | 13 (3–24) | 14 (3–24) | 0.625 |
Quit attempts in the past year? | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0.585* |
Any therapy to quit smoking before EC use | ||||
Never Attempted | 142 (95.9) | 66 (94.3) | 208 (95.4) | 0.730 |
NRT | 6 (4.1) | 4 (5.7) | 10 (4.6) | |
Age started smoking | 15 (12–27) | 16 (12–22) | 15 (12–27) | 0.125* |
Pack/year | 7 (0.5–50) | 4.75 (0.25–30) | 6 (0.25–50) | 0.114* |
ECs use (months) | 4 (2–24) | 8 (6–24) | 5 (2–24) | < 0.001* |
ECs consumption | ||||
Daily | 145 (98) | 69 (98.6) | 214 (98.2) | 1.000 |
Occasionally | 3 (2) | 1 (1.4) | 4 (1.8) |
Evaluation of EC effectiveness
Conventional cigarette (CCs) Consumption and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) Level at baseline | ||||
Characteristics | Dual users n = 146 | Sole EC users n = 69 | Statistic | P value (2-tailed) |
CC/day before using EC | 20 (10–60) | 20 (5–40) | U = 4412.000 | 0.055 |
CC/day at baseline visit 1 | 5 (1–30) | – | Z = −9.281 | < 0.001 |
Exhale Carbon Monoxide (CO) | 8 (8–40) | 3 (1–6) | U = 1577.500 | < 0.001 |
Conventional cigarettes consumption and CO level at week 24 | ||||
Characteristics | Dual users n = 127 | Sole EC users n = 62 | Statistic | P value (2-tailed) |
CC/day at baseline vs week 24 | 5 (1–30) | – | Z = −1.710 | 0.087 |
CC/day at week 24 | 6 (0–40) | 0 (0–20) | U = 1842.00 | < 0.001 |
CO at week 24 | 8 (2–20) | 3 (2–11) | U = 1650.50 | < 0.001 |
Evaluation of Electronic cigarettes effectiveness by the seven-day prevalence abstinence rate at week 24 (Intention To Treat (ITT) analysis) | ||||
At Week 24 | % (n) | OR (95% CI) | P value (2-tailed) | |
Quit only CCs | ||||
Both users | 20.5% (44 of 215) | |||
Sole EC users | 42% (29 of 69) | 6.33 (4.09- | < 0.001 | |
Dual user | 10.3% (15 of 146) | 0.646) | ||
Quit both ECs and CCs | ||||
Both users | 3.3% (7 of 215) | 5.62 (5.29- | 0.036 | |
Sole EC users | 7.2% (5 of 69) | 0.940) | ||
Dual users | 1.4% (2 of 146) |
Measures of EC safety
Measure of EC adverse effects
Adverse events | Groups | At baseline | At week 24 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total n (%) | Mean | P (2-tailed) | Total n (%) | Mean | P (2-tailed) | ||
Dry Mouth | Dual user Sole EC user | 82 (55.4) 30 (42.9) | 1.229 0.900 | 0.062 | 21 (16.5) 09 (14.5) | .2205 .2097 | 0.904 |
Sore throat | Dual user Sole EC user | 32 (21.6) 9 (12.9) | .3986 .2714 | 0.262 | 13 (10.2) 8 (12.9) | .1102 .1290 | 0.720 |
Cough | Dual user Sole EC user | 34 (23) 8 (11.4) | 0.5473 0.1571 | < 0.001 | 31 (24.4) 7 (11.3) | .3858 .1452 | 0.009 |
Anxiety | Dual user Sole EC user | 0 (0) 1 (1.4) | .0000 .0286 | 0.321 | – | – | – |
Stomach disturbances | Dual user Sole EC user | 2 (1.4) 0 (0) | .0270 .0000 | 0.158 | – | – | – |
Nausea | Dual user Sole EC user | – | – | – | 6 (4.7) 2 (3.2) | .0551 .0323 | 0.535 |
Vomiting | Dual user Sole EC user | 0 (0) 5 (7.1) | 0.000 0.1571 | 0.033 | 3 (2.4) 2 (3.2) | .0394 .0484 | 0.830 |
Headache | Dual user Sole EC user | 14 (9.5) 6 (9.2) | .1486 .1286 | 0.771 | 5 (3.9) 5 (8.1) | .0551 .0968 | 0.388 |
Breathing Problem | Dual user Sole EC user | 27 (18.8) 2 (2.8) | .3243 0429 | < 0.001 | 24 (18.9) 4 (6.5) | .2598 .0806 | 0.008 |
Other (fever, gums bleeding | Dual user Sole EC user | 0 (0) 3 (4.3)a | .0000 .0571 | 0.103 | 1 (0.8) 2 (3.2)b | .1102 .0806 | 0.775 |