How primary care addresses vaping in the youth: a systematic literature review
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Vaping among youth has emerged as a significant public health concern. Primary care professionals are uniquely positioned to address this issue, but their practices, perceptions, and preparedness remain poorly understood.
Objectives
This systematic review aimed to explore how primary care professionals manage e-cigarette use among youth, focusing on three key areas: perceptions, screening practices, and counselling strategies.
Design
This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure rigour and transparency.
Data sources
For studies published from January 2000 to December 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted across Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Global Health, and Scopus.
Eligibility criteria
Studies focusing on youth (aged 15–24), addressing e-cigarette use within primary care settings, and published in English were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed non-human studies, dual users, and articles without full text.
Data extraction and synthesis
From an initial pool of 896 publications, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Data extraction followed a structured process, identifying themes related to perceptions, knowledge, screening, and counselling.
Results
Clinicians’ perceptions of e-cigarettes seem to affect their likelihood of discussing usage with patients, while gaps in knowledge and inconsistent screening practices remain common obstacles. Screening rates for e-cigarettes were remarkably lower than those for traditional cigarette products. Counselling practices varied considerably, while strategies such as motivational interviewing and personalised counselling were described, overall practice remained inconsistent. Thus, highlighting missed opportunities for early intervention and the need for more structured and standardised clinical approaches.
Conclusion
Primary care professionals play a crucial role in addressing vaping among youth, but gaps in knowledge, inconsistent practices, and a lack of standardised guidelines limit their effectiveness. Targeted education, clear guidelines, and further research are essential to strengthen primary care interventions in this area.
Vaping among youth has emerged as a significant public health concern. Primary care professionals are uniquely positioned to address this issue, but their practices, perceptions, and preparedness remain poorly understood.
Objectives
This systematic review aimed to explore how primary care professionals manage e-cigarette use among youth, focusing on three key areas: perceptions, screening practices, and counselling strategies.
Design
This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure rigour and transparency.
Data sources
For studies published from January 2000 to December 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted across Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Global Health, and Scopus.
Eligibility criteria
Studies focusing on youth (aged 15–24), addressing e-cigarette use within primary care settings, and published in English were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed non-human studies, dual users, and articles without full text.
Data extraction and synthesis
From an initial pool of 896 publications, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Data extraction followed a structured process, identifying themes related to perceptions, knowledge, screening, and counselling.
Results
Clinicians’ perceptions of e-cigarettes seem to affect their likelihood of discussing usage with patients, while gaps in knowledge and inconsistent screening practices remain common obstacles. Screening rates for e-cigarettes were remarkably lower than those for traditional cigarette products. Counselling practices varied considerably, while strategies such as motivational interviewing and personalised counselling were described, overall practice remained inconsistent. Thus, highlighting missed opportunities for early intervention and the need for more structured and standardised clinical approaches.
Conclusion
Primary care professionals play a crucial role in addressing vaping among youth, but gaps in knowledge, inconsistent practices, and a lack of standardised guidelines limit their effectiveness. Targeted education, clear guidelines, and further research are essential to strengthen primary care interventions in this area.
Date Issued
2026-12-01
Date Acceptance
2026-04-28
Citation
BMC Primary Care, 2026, 27 (1)
ISSN
2731-4553
Publisher
BMC
Journal / Book Title
BMC Primary Care
Volume
27
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
10.1186/s12875-026-03350-1
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 263
Date Publish Online
2026-05-18