Prevalence of Electronic Cigarette Usage Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia – A Systematic Review

Abstract

The systematic review aimed to report the prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) usage among medical students in Saudi Arabia. Electronic databases were searched for scientific research articles published from January 2010 until December 2020. The data search was performed in electronic search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Saudi Digital Library. A total of five research articles that qualified the eligibility criteria were analyzed for qualitative data. The sample size in the included studies ranged from 229 to 1007 participants. The prevalence of e-cigarette usage ranged from 10.6% to 27.7% among medical students in Saudi Arabia. Studies have also reported that the prevalence of e-cigarette usage is higher among the male population in comparison with the female population. The prevalence of e-cigarette usage among medical students in Saudi Arabia is high. Similar to tobacco smoking, e-cigarette usage is a major public health issue and concern among the younger population because they have potential benefits in some and are harmful to some and also it is still unclear whether they are effective for quitting smoking. Regulatory bodies must focus and initiate strict laws and policies to minimize the sales of these products to the younger population. Health promotion strategies need to be developed to reduce the usage of e-cigarettes.

Association of Electronic Cigarette Usage with the Subsequent Initiation of Combustible Cigarette Smoking among Dental Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Longitudinal Study

“…Moreover, the data reveal that 60.9% of them began smoking before the age of eighteen years old, and 29.7% of them did so before the age of fifteen years old [ 60 ]. In Saudi Arabia, the percentage of medical students who used e-cigarettes ranged from 10.6% to 27.7% [ 28 ].…”

“…Another study by Althobaiti N.K et al [ 27 ] found that young adults from the Mecca Region of Saudi Arabia, aged 18 to 24 years old, had a prevalence of 26%. According to a systematic review by Patil S et al [ 28 ], between 10.6% and 27.7% of Saudi Arabian medical students used e-cigarettes. According to Sharanesha RB et al [ 29 ], dental students in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia use e-cigarettes at a rate of 21%.…”

The prevalence of the use of electronic smoking devices among medical students in Madinah

“…Several studies have shown that younger adults are more likely to use e-cigarettes than older adults. Many studies have been done on the Saudi Arabian population regarding e-cigarette usage, concluding that youth are more likely to use e-cigarettes (Patil et al, 2022). E-cigarettes have gained popularity over the past few years, especially among young people.…”