Prevalence of electronic cigarette use among women: A systematic review (2026)

The use of electronic cigarettes has increased in recent years. However, the prevalence of this consumption among the female population is unknown. The objective of this review is to determine the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among women, taking into account continent, country, age, and course. A literature search was conducted in the PsycINFO, Pubmed, Web of Science (WOS) and SCOPUS databases to identify articles published between January 2015 and January 2025 that analysed the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among women. Forty-five studies were included and classified according to continent of origin: Europe (n = 10), America (n = 21), Asia (n = 7) and Oceania (n = 3). Four studies evaluated several countries simultaneously. In general, it was found that the prevalence of consumption in recent years is on the rise. The continent with the highest rate was America (28.8%), although countries on other continents, such as France (19.3%) and Kuwait (14.4%), also had high prevalence rates. The stage of life with the highest prevalence was young adulthood, with 6.2% having used them in the last 30 days. Furthermore, globally, it was found that the use of electronic cigarettes among women is lower than among men. Knowing the use of these devices among women allows for the development of specific preventive or treatment actions to reduce consumption in those territories and stages of life where the use of these devices is highest. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
A systematic review of 45 studies was carried out to analyse current electronic cigarette use among women.
The prevalence of daily/weekly use is estimated to be between 0.2% and 4%.
The stage of life with the highest prevalence in the last 30 days was young adulthood (3%-28,8%).
The use of electronic cigarettes among women has increased.
There is variability between geographical areas, with the USA and some European countries having the highest rates.