Trends in e-cigarette research in Korea: a comparative analysis of adult and adolescent studies

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics and trends of domestic research on electronic cigarettes published in Korean academic journals between 2017 and September 2025, with a comparative focus on studies involving adults and adolescents. METHODS: The study employed a descriptive literature analysis design. A total of 87 articles were identified through searches of major Korean academic databases (RISS, ScienceON, and DBpia) and selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies were classified by research population (adults vs. adolescents) and analyzed according to publication year, study design, data sources, and research themes. RESULTS: A greater number of studies focused on adults than on adolescents, and quantitative research predominated in both groups. Most quantitative studies relied on secondary data; notably, 88.0% of adolescent studies used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS). Among adult studies, the most common research themes were health effects and associated factors, whereas adolescent studies most frequently addressed smoking cessation and health effects. Conclusion: Although domestic research on electronic cigarettes has steadily increased, it remains concentrated mainly on cross-sectional quantitative designs, with limited use of longitudinal or qualitative approaches. In particular, the excessive reliance on secondary data in adolescent research limits the ability to capture emerging patterns of e-cigarette use and evolving risk perceptions. Therefore, future studies should apply diverse research designs to gain an in-depth understanding of the social and psychological contexts of adolescent e-cigarette use.