E-cigarette experimentation reported by 16.8% of Brazilian adolescents in 2019 survey

A cross-sectional analysis of Brazil’s 2019 National School Health Survey estimated that 16.8% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 had experimented with e-cigarettes, with the measure defined as lifetime ever use. The study included 124,610 schoolchildren and used multivariable logistic regression to examine sociodemographic, interpersonal, behavioral and health variables associated with experimentation. The findings are based on survey data collected in 2019 and reported in the article abstract, which was available as an early-access version subject to further editorial changes.

Adolescents aged 16 to 17 had higher odds of reporting e-cigarette experimentation than younger respondents in the model, with an odds ratio of 1.23 (95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.35). Respondents with a high Household Goods and Services Score also had higher odds, with an odds ratio of 1.65 (95% CI, 1.45–1.89). Girls had lower odds than the model’s reference group, with an odds ratio of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.70–0.84). These estimates describe statistical associations within the survey population and do not establish that the measured characteristics caused experimentation.

The interpersonal variables most strongly associated with experimentation included smoking among friends, reported by respondents with an odds ratio of 2.85 (95% CI, 2.66–3.06), and participation in physical fights, with an odds ratio of 1.50 (95% CI, 1.34–1.69). Higher odds were also reported among adolescents who experienced aggression by parents or guardians, with an odds ratio of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.24–1.46), or who reported sexual abuse, with an odds ratio of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.21–1.43). Smoking at home was associated with higher odds, with an odds ratio of 1.22 (95% CI, 1.13–1.33). By contrast, living with one’s mother was associated with lower odds, with an odds ratio of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.77–0.99), as was reporting family supervision, with an odds ratio of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72–0.88).

In the behavioral and health analysis, respondents who had already had sexual intercourse had higher odds of e-cigarette experimentation, with an odds ratio of 3.03 (95% CI, 2.80–3.28). Sufficient physical activity was associated with modestly higher odds, with an odds ratio of 1.12 (95% CI, 1.03–1.23). Negative self-rated health was associated with an odds ratio of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.09–1.27), while reported irritability was associated with an odds ratio of 1.27 (95% CI, 1.15–1.41). Because the study was cross-sectional, it could not determine whether these factors preceded experimentation or whether experimentation contributed to the reported behaviors or health measures. The abstract also does not provide a detailed assessment of potential biases or other study-specific limitations, so the full article would be needed for a more complete evaluation of those issues.

Subject of Research: Prevalence and correlates of e-cigarette experimentation among Brazilian adolescents surveyed in 2019

Article Title: Prevalence and factors associated with e-cigarette experimentation among adolescents: 2019 National School Health Survey

Article References: de Morais, É. A. H., da Silva, A. G., dos Santos, S. L. A., Gontijo, T. G., Abreu, M. N. S., & Malta, D. C. (2026). Prevalence and factors associated with e-cigarette experimentation among adolescents: 2019 National School Health Survey. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07648-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12887-026-07648-y

Keywords: e-cigarette experimentation, adolescent health, Brazil, National School Health Survey, PeNSE 2019, smoking, cross-sectional study, multivariable regression, Prevalence, factors, associated, e-cigarette