# The effect of e-cigarette and hookah use on the age of asthma onset in the USA

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2022 · $234,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Innovative analysis of existing behavioral data to study the etiology and epidemiology of the age of
asthma onset among past 30-day e-cigarette and hookah users is responsive to the scientific interest
area on health effects by understanding the short and long-term effects of these tobacco products in
the U.S. This proposal focuses on the age of asthma onset in youth and adults. E-cigarettes and
hookah are now dominant features of the current tobacco marketplace, and they have the potential to
harm the health of users in ways similar to cigarettes. Therefore, estimating the age of asthma onset
to evaluate the effect of past 30-day e-cigarette and hookah use among never cigarette users is
paramount to protect public health, educate the public, and provide evidence to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Information on an earlier age of asthma onset will quantify and display the
potential risk of these tobacco products, which can help prevent people from initiating use or motivate
users to quit. In addition, the most effective way to control and treat asthma is with early detection of
the disease. Providing information on the age of asthma onset in e-cigarette and hookah users can
help provide necessary information to physicians and health care providers on the appropriate age
windows for asthma screening in patients who use these tobacco products. We propose to estimate
the age asthma of onset using waves 1-5 (and any subsequent waves released during our study
period) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Two aims are proposed:
Aim 1: To estimate the age of asthma onset among youth and adults ages 12-75+ years old, and
explore the association between e-cigarette use and the age of asthma onset after controlling for
other risk factors. Aim 2: To estimate the age of asthma onset among youth and adults ages 12-75+
years old, and explore the association between hookah use and the age of asthma onset after
controlling for other risk factors. Analyses for Aims 1 and 2 will be conducted among never cigarette
users to avoid potential confounding from cigarette use. There is a gap in the knowledge related to
the age of asthma onset, specifically among e-cigarette and hookah users. The most effective way to
establish these associations is with longitudinal, prospective research. Few studies can test
hypotheses with longitudinal data on tobacco-related health outcomes, including asthma that is
nationally representative of U.S. youth and adults. This project addresses a critical need to
understand and guide efforts to provide FDA, the Center for Tobacco Products, and the general
public with more information on the effects of using these tobacco products to reduce their public
health toll in the United States.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10497247
- **Project number:** 1R21HL165401-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Adriana Perez
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $234,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10497247

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10497247, The effect of e-cigarette and hookah use on the age of asthma onset in the USA (1R21HL165401-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10497247. Licensed CC0.

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