Social Media Use may Increase Risk of Cigarette and E-Cigarette smoking among Youngsters: Study

A recent study published in Thorax Journal highlighted the significant impact of social media on the health behaviors of children and young people, particularly regarding the cigarette and e-cigarette use. The research was conducted using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study from 2015 to 2021 and uncovered concerning correlations between the amount of time spent on social media and the smoking risk among youth aged 10 to 25 years.

The study analyzed responses from a total of 10,808 participants and encompassed close to 27,962 observations over the six-year period. The study investigated the relationship between the amount of social media use on a typical weekday and current smoking habits, including both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The analysis employed generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression models to determine these associations after adjusting for a range of potential confounders such as age, sex, UK region, ethnicity, household income and the smoking behaviors of others in the household.

The study found that 8.6% of the participants reported smoking cigarettes at some point during the study, while 2.5% reported using e-cigarettes. The study revealed a clear association between higher social media use and increased odds of smoking. Also, the participants who spent seven or more hours per day on social media had a significantly higher likelihood of smoking cigarettes, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 3.60 (95% CI 2.61 to 4.96) when compared to the participants who did not use social media.

Similar trends were observed for the use of e-cigarette. The odds of using e-cigarettes were significantly higher among heavy social media users (AOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.29 for ≥7 hours/day vs none). The study found strong evidence of a dose-response relationship by indicating that the risk of smoking increased with the amount of time spent on social media (both p<0.001).

When the data were broken down by sex and household income, the associations remained consistent for cigarette smoking across all groups which found more pronounced e-cigarette use among the individuals from higher-income households. This study highlights the potential public health risks associated with excessive social media use among young people. The clear association between social media exposure and increased smoking behaviors suggests a need for increased awareness and further research.

Source:

Hopkinson, N. S., Vrinten, C., Parnham, J. C., Radó, M. K., Filippidis, F., Vamos, E. P., & Laverty, A. A. (2024). Association of time spent on social media with youth cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use in the UK: a national longitudinal study. In Thorax (p. thorax-2023-220569). BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2023-220569