The Korean Cohort Study of Smokers and Vapors (KCS&V)

Background: According to the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of conventional cigarette smoking decreased from 43.7% in 2012 to 31.3% in 2022 in Korean men and from 7.9% to 6.9% in Korean women.In contrast, the prevalence of the use of new types of cigarettes, such as electronic vaping cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), steadily increased.Methods: We designed a prospective cohort study based on annual health examination data obtained by the Korea Medical Institute (KMI), one of the largest private health examination institutions in Korea.Our baseline was 2019 when the survey questionnaire regarding HTPs was initiated.Results: A total of 183,521 individuals who underwent health examinations at the KMI consecutively in 2019 and 2020 and were not missing on smoking behavior variables were included in this study.Information on the study participants' past disease history, lifestyle habits, physical measurements, and blood tests was collected.In 2019, the current use rate of cigarette-type electronic cigarettes was highest among those aged 30-39 years at 15.83% and similarly high among those aged 40-49 years at 15.45%.The current use rates declined sharply in those in their 50s. Conclusion:The researchers named this cohort study The Korean Cohort Study of Smokers and Vapors.This is a prospective cohort study established to generate evidence related to shortand long-term health effects due to the use of electronic cigarettes in Korea.