Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Analysis of symptoms and their potential associations with e-liquids’ components: a social media study

Authors: Qiudan Li, Yongcheng Zhan, Lei Wang, Scott J. Leischow, Daniel Dajun Zeng

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) market has grown rapidly in recent years. However, causes of e-cigarette related symptoms among users and their impact on health remain uncertain. This research aims to mine the potential relationships between symptoms and e-liquid components, such as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavor extracts, and nicotine, using user-generated data collected from Reddit.

Methods

A total of 3605 e-liquid related posts from January 1st, 2011 to June 30th, 2015 were collected from Reddit. Then the patterns of VG/PG distribution among different flavors were analyzed. Next, the relationship between throat hit, which was a typical symptom of e-cigarette use, and e-liquid components was studied. Finally, other symptoms were examined based on e-liquid components and user sentiment.

Results

We discovered 3 main sets of findings: 1) We identified three groups of flavors in terms of VG/PG ratios. Fruits, cream, and nuts flavors were similar. Sweet, menthol, and seasonings flavors were classified into one group. Tobacco and beverages flavors were the third group. 2) Throat hit was analyzed and we found that menthol and tobacco flavors, as well as high ratios of PG and nicotine level, could produce more throat hit. 3) A total of 9 systems of 25 symptoms were identified and analyzed. Components including VG/PG ratio, flavor, and nicotine could be possible reasons for these symptoms.

Conclusions

E-liquid components shown to be associated with e-cigarette use symptomology were VG/PG ratios, flavors, and nicotine levels. Future analysis could be conducted based on the structure of e-liquid components categories built in this study. Information revealed in this study could be utilized by e-cigarette users to understand the relationship between e-liquid type and symptoms experienced, by vendors to choose appropriate recipes of e-liquid, and by policy makers to develop new regulations.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
2.
3.
Liang Y, Zheng X, Zeng DD, Zhou X, Leischow SJ, Chung W: Characterizing Social Interaction in Tobacco-Oriented Social Networks: An Empirical Analysis. Sci Rep. 2015;5:10060; doi: 10.1038/srep10060.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Kostygina G, Glantz SA, Ling PM. Tobacco industry use of flavours to recruit new users of little cigars and cigarillos. Tob Control. 2016;25:386–92.CrossRef
10.
11.
Bahl V, Lin S, Xu N, Davis B, Wang YH, Talbot P. Comparison of electronic cigarette refill fluid cytotoxicity using embryonic and adult models. Reprod Toxicol. 2012;34:529–37.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Behar RZ, Davis B, Wang Y, Bahl V, Lin S, Talbot P. Identification of toxicants in cinnamon-flavored electronic cigarette refill fluids. Toxicol Vitr. 2014;28:198–208.CrossRef
13.
Tierney PA, Karpinski CD, Brown JE, Luo W, Pankow JF. Flavour chemicals in electronic cigarette fluids. Tob Control. 2015;25(e1):1–6.
14.
Etter J-F. Explaining the effects of electronic cigarettes on craving for tobacco in recent quitters. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015;148:102–8.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Wang F-Y, Carley KM, Zeng D, Mao W. Social Computing: From Social Informatics to Social Intelligence. IEEE Intell Syst. 2007;22:79–83.CrossRef
16.
Yan P, Chen H, Zeng D. Syndromic surveillance systems. Annu Rev Inf Sci Technol. 2009;42:425–95.CrossRef
17.
18.
Pavalanathan U. Identity Management and Mental Health Discourse in Social Media Identity in Online Communities. Int World Wide Web Conf Comm. 2015;18:315–21.
19.
Arthur M. Reddit: Tracking the 2014 Ebola Outbreak across the World. Nurs Stand. 2014;29:32–2.
20.
Wang L, Zhan Y, Li Q, Zeng DD, Leischow SJ, Okamoto J. An examination of electronic cigarette content on social media: Analysis of e-cigarette flavor content on reddit. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12:14933–52.
21.
Barbeau AM, Burda J, Siegel M. Perceived efficacy of e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy among successful e-cigarette users: a qualitative approach. Addict Sci Clin Pr. 2013;8:5.CrossRef
22.
McQueen A, Tower S, Sumner W. Interviews with “vapers”: Implications for future research with electronic cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res. 2011;13:860–7.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Pankow JF. A Consideration of the Role of Gas/Particle Partitioning in the Deposition of Nicotine and Other Tobacco Smoke Compounds in the Respiratory Tract. Chem Res Toxicol. 2001;14:1465–81.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Kochhar N, Warburton DM. Puff-by-puff sensory evaluation of a low to middle tar medium nicotine cigarette designed to maintain nicotine delivery to the smoker. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1990;102:343–9.CrossRef
25.
26.
Wagener TL, Siegel M, Borrelli B. Electronic cigarettes: Achieving a balanced perspective. Addiction. 2012;107:1545–8.CrossRefPubMed
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
Farsalinos KE, Romagna G, Tsiapras D, Kyrzopoulos S, Voudris V. Evaluating Nicotine Levels Selection and Patterns of Electronic Cigarette Use in a Group of “vapers” Who Had Achieved Complete Substitution of Smoking. Subst Abus Res Treat. 2013;7:139-46.
36.
37.
38.
39.
Regan AK, Promoff G, Dube SR, Arrazola R. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: adult use and awareness of the “e-cigarette” in the USA. Tob Control. 2013;22:19–23.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Henningfield JE, Zaatari GS. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: emerging science foundation for policy. Tob Control. 2010;19:89–90.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Cobb NK, Byron MJ, Abrams DB, Shields PG. Novel nicotine delivery systems and public health: the rise of the “e-cigarette.”. Am J Public Heal. 2010;100:2340–2.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Analysis of symptoms and their potential associations with e-liquids’ components: a social media study
Authors
Qiudan Li
Yongcheng Zhan
Lei Wang
Scott J. Leischow
Daniel Dajun Zeng
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3326-0

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Public Health 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

Occurrence of multiple mental health or substance use outcomes among bisexuals: a respondent-driven sampling study

Research article

Mental health and school dropout across educational levels and genders: a 4.8-year follow-up study

Research article

Evaluation of the impact of a chronic disease scheme reimbursing medical costs of patients with diabetes in Anhui province, China: a follow-up study

Research article

A comparision of the yield of three tuberculosis screening modalities among people living with HIV: a retrospective quasi-experiemental study

Research article

The Gutenberg health study: associations between occupational and private stress factors and work-privacy conflict

Research article

Effort-reward imbalance and perceived quality of patient care: a cross-sectional study among physicians in Germany