Smoking and vaping in children — associations with pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in a single-center retrospective cohort study
Abstract
Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly used by adolescents and are often perceived as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, despite exposure to potentially harmful substances that may affect the respiratory system. This study aimed to assess pulmonary function tests (PFTs), as well as respiratory and general symptoms, in pediatric patients using traditional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis included 69 pediatric patients hospitalized between 2014 and 2023 at the University Children’s Hospital in Lublin. Participants were divided into a study group of cigarette and/or e-cigarette users and a control group of non-smokers. Both groups included children with and without asthma. Spirometric parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as reported symptoms, were analyzed using StataNow 18.5 and Statistica 13.1. Results: E-cigarette use was independently associated with a significant reduction in FEV1 (β = –0.79; p = 0.025). Although a negative trend was also observed for FVC, this association did not reach statistical significance. Smoking children reported a higher prevalence of respiratory and systemic symptoms compared with non-smokers, with dizziness being significantly more frequent (p = 0.024). Conclusions: Nicotine exposure in children and adolescents was associated with impaired PFTs, particularly reduced FEV1, and a higher…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 69 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Tobacco and COPD: presenting the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Knowledge Summary
- Comparative effects of e-cigarette smoking on periodontal status, salivary pH, and cotinine levels
- Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review
- Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes
- Natural products as kinase inhibitors in lung cancer: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and clinical trials
- Nicotine in electronic cigarettes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.