Factors Associated with Knowledge and Attitude towards E-Cigarettes among Undergraduate Students in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Thailand government has enacted a ban on vaping for eight years, but the number of vapers has continued to increase, particularly among teenagers. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes toward e-cigarette use in Thailand. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed between January and March 2022. The participants were selected from 14 universities of Thailand. For data collection, a questionnaire was developed online using Google Form. The participants had to complete the questionnaire within 5 to 10 days the via s. Chi-square and binary logistic analysis were used to assess the association between variables. Results: A total of 507 participants were recruited, The participants' mean age was 20.6 ± 1.9 years. About 98.6% of the participants knew about e-cigarette, and 74.4% had never been taught about e-cigarettes. Moreover, 68.8% of the participants declared that people around them were smokers. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the participants who declared that they were not sure if e-cigarettes contains nicotine or not were 10.5 more likely to consume e-cigarettes (AOR = 10.5; 95 % CI 3.130-35.181; P ˂0.001). Male participants who were at the academic year of three and four were more likely to use e-cigarettes than female students who were at the academic year of five and six (

Relationship between electronic cigarette use, dual smoking habits, and psychological distress among youth in Northern Thailand: A cross-sectional study

“…Young individuals might be more vulnerable to the impacts of nicotine, and exposure to nicotine during adolescence could potentially disrupt the development of their brains, rendering them more susceptible to the adverse consequences of nicotine on mood and anxiety 20 . Evidence also indicates that a significant proportion of young e-cigarette users are not well-informed about whether their e-liquid contains nicotine or have limited knowledge regarding the substance's health effects 21 . Remarkably, consistent with global data indicating that one-third of adolescents aged 10-19 years are at risk of developing clinical depression, exceeding reported estimates for individuals aged 18-25 years 22 , this current research identified that being in a younger age group was associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing depression and anxiety.…”

“…Participants rated their responses on a 4-point Likert scale: '0=Not at all', '1=Several days', '2=More than half the days', and '3=Nearly every day'. The severity of depression symptoms was categorized as minimal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderate-severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and severe (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

Knowledge, Perception, and Associated Factors of Electronic Cigarette Consumption Among the Saudi Population in Jeddah City

“…In a study published in 2022 among the teaching and non-teaching members of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University, the results showed the majority of 337 participants had little knowledge and attitudes toward e-cigarettes [ 10 ]. A study among 507 undergraduate students in Thailand showed a lack of knowledge about e-cigarettes’ harmful effects [ 11 ].…”