E-Cigarette Use Among persons With Diagnosed HIV in the U.S

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• HIV/AIDS Research

Background:

• E-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are increasingly prevalent in the U.S. adult population.
• Limited research exists on e-cigarette usage patterns among individuals diagnosed with HIV.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the national prevalence of e-cigarette use among U.S. adults diagnosed with HIV.
• To analyze e-cigarette use based on sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Medical Monitoring Project (June 2018-May 2019), a national survey of persons with diagnosed HIV in the U.S.
• Employed chi-square tests to identify statistically significant differences in e-cigarette use (p<0.05).
• Data analysis was conducted in 2021.

Main Results:

• 5.9% of persons with diagnosed HIV reported current e-cigarette use; 27.1% had used them previously.
• Highest current e-cigarette use was observed in those who smoke conventional cigarettes (11.1%), have major depression (10.8%), and are aged 25-34 (10.5%).
• Elevated use was also noted among individuals reporting recent drug use, diagnosed <5 years ago, identifying with other sexual orientations, and non-Hispanic White individuals.

Conclusions:

• E-cigarette use is more common among persons with diagnosed HIV compared to the general U.S. adult population.
• Specific subgroups, particularly current cigarette smokers, exhibit higher rates of e-cigarette use.
• Continued monitoring of e-cigarette use in the HIV-positive population is warranted due to potential health implications.