Smoking-related weight and appetite concerns and use of electronic cigarettes among daily cigarette smokers

Weight control is a common motive for cigarette smoking. Some individuals also report using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) for weight control. This study tested the hypothesis that the tendency to use combustible cigarettes for weight/appetite control would be associated with higher odds of current e-cigarette use among adult daily combustible cigarette smokers. Participants (n = 577; M-age = 44.42; 52.7% female) were recruited to participate in an online survey. Smoking for weight/appetite control was assessed via the Smoking-Related Weight and Eating Episodes Test (SWEET). Results indicated that higher scores on two SWEET subscales were significantly associated with increased odds of current e-cigarette use: smoking to suppress appetite (OR = 1.356,CI95% = 1.116-1.646, p = .002) and smoking to prevent overeating (OR = 1.314, CI95% = 1.101-1.567, p = .002). Scores on the other SWEET subscales were not significantly associated with current e-cigarette use. These findings indicate that daily smokers who smoke to manage their appetite and eating may be more likely to use e-cigarettes, potentially because e-cigarettes will also serve this function. Future research should evaluate beliefs about e-cigarettes in management of appetite and eating behavior, and the acute effects of e-cigarettes on weight and eating behavior relative to combustible cigarettes.