An examination of how e-cigarette/cigarette use during adolescence is associated with future use during the third trimester of pregnancy

Background: Adolescent e-cigarette use has increased, as has e-cigarette use during pregnancy, yet little is known about how these types of tobacco/nicotine (cigarettes/e-cigarettes) use during adolescence are associated with tobacco/nicotine use during the third trimester of pregnancy among young adults. Methods: National longitudinal data (2013-2018) from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study were used. Young adults ages 18-20 who indicated past-year pregnancy made up the analytic sample (N = 246). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between history of past 30-day use of cigarettes/e-cigarettes during adolescence (i.e., 14-17) and later use during the third trimester of pregnancy among young women (i.e., 18-20). Results: Within the sample of young women who indicated a pregnancy during the past year, 18.9% indicated smoking cigarettes and 4.2% indicated using e-cigarettes during their last trimester. Cigarette smoking in adolescence (wave 1 or 2) was associated with cigarette use during the last trimester (aOR = 4.76, 95% CI = 1.36, 16.6); however, e-cigarette use during adolescence was not associated with either cigarette or e-cigarette use during the third trimester of pregnancy. Conclusions: Tobacco/nicotine prevention in early adolescence has implications for preventing tobacco/nicotine-related harms during pregnancy among young adults. Intervention programs and clinicians informed about various types of tobacco/nicotine are needed to address tobacco/nicotine cessation among adolescents to prevent consequences of tobacco/nicotine use during pregnancy.

Automated summary

This study found an association between smoking during adolescence and continued smoking during the third trimester of pregnancy among young women, but no association between adolescent e-cigarette use and tobacco/nicotine use during pregnancy.