Socioeconomic patterning of vaping by smoking status among UK adults and youth

摘要: Smoking contributes significantly to socioeconomic health inequalities. Vaping has captured much interest as a less harmful alternative smoking, but may be relative non-smoking. Examining inequalities in vaping by smoking status, offer insights into potential impacts of on health. Data were from 3291 youth (aged 10–15) and 35,367 adults 16+) wave 7 (2015–17) the UK Household Longitudinal Study. In order adjust for biases that could introduced stratifying marginal structural models used estimate controlled direct effects an index disadvantage (incorporating household education, occupation income) status (among youth), adjusting relevant confounders selection states. We also estimated being ex-smoker adult ever-smokers; n = 18,128). Socioeconomic was associated with among never (OR unit increase index: 1.17; 95%: 1.03–1.34), ex-smoking (OR: 95% CI: 1.09–1.26), little no association 0.98; 0.91–1.07) current 1.00; 0.93–1.07) adults. reduced odds ever-smokers, this moderately weaker those who vaped 0.88; 0.82–0.95) than did not 0.82; 0.80–0.84; p-value difference = 0.081). Inequalities ex-smokers, suggest widen inequalities, while cessation vapers indicate e-cigarettes help narrow Further research is needed understand balance these opposing impacts, how any benefits can maximised whilst protecting vulnerable.