Association between the use of electronic cigarettes and the prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis: a nationwide cross-sectional study*

Background: Whether the use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) is associated with upper airway diseases, including chronic rhinosinu-sitis (CRS) and allergic rhinitis (AR), remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed data from the nationwide cross-sectional surveys: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015), VII (2016–2018), and VIII (2019). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between EC use and CRS or AR. Results: Among a total of 38,413 participants, 6.4% were former EC users and 2.5% were current EC users. Former EC users and current EC showed a significantly increased OR for CRS or AR compared with never EC users. In the subgroup analysis, the “current CC (conventional cigarette)-current EC” and the “current CC-formal EC” group had a significantly higher OR for CRS or AR than the “current CC-never EC” group. In addition, former CC smokers who currently use ECs showed a significantly higher OR for AR than former CC smokers without EC use. Conclusions: EC use is significantly associated with a high prevalence of CRS and AR in the adult population. These results indi-cate that the use of ECs may increase the risk of upper airway disease.