The prevalence of E-cigarette uses among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University; a cross-sectional study 2020

Abstract

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and commercially a commonplace in the media. Health concerns and the avoidance of smoking are the most frequently reported factors for conventional smokers to turn to e-cigarettes. However, there is insufficient information about the use of e-cigarettes in Makkah city; therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of electronic cigarette uses among medical students at Umm al-Qura University (UQU). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2020 among medical students at UQU, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a prevalidated printed version of a self-questionnaire to determine the prevalence and the main factors that influence medical students to smoke e-cigarettes and to evaluate their awareness, knowledge, and attitude. Results: Out of 1249medical students, 910 participated in the survey, about 31.8 % of them confirmed using e-cigarette regularly. 14.7% think e-cigarettes are medically approved method for smoking cessation, while 59.5% believe it can cause addiction similar to tobacco cigarettes. Among the regular users, 24.3% used it to quit tobacco smoking, 18.9% think it is less harmful, 20.3 % use it because it is less costly, and 18.9% because of stress. Also, 28.4% found it tasty. 30.8% believed that it is less harmful, about 74% stated that they received information about e-cigarettes and only 16% of them received it from medical school. Conclusion: The prevalence of e-cigarette uses among medical student in UQU found to be relatively high, and their overall knowledge is insufficient, which conflict our hypothesis.

The Prevalence of Electronic Cigarette Use Among College Students of Taibah University and Symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease

“…All of these facts likely contributed to the e-cigarette use among our students. Similarly, Other studies showed similar factors contributing to the widespread e-cigarette use in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [ 16 , 29 ]. Therefore, we should raise public awareness of the risks associated with e-cigarette use, especially among young adults.…”

“…Similar to our research, Qanash et al found in a survey conducted in 2017 that the prevalence of e-cigarette use was 28% among health sciences college students in Jeddah [ 15 ]. Similarly, Alshanberi et al found in a survey conducted in 2020 a high prevalence of e-cigarette use among medical students at Umm al-Qura University, reaching up to 32% [ 16 ]. Aqeeli et al also found that the prevalence rate of e-cigarette use was 21% among students of Jazan University [ 14 ].…”

“…Moreover, e-cigarettes have been increasing in popularity among young adults who never smoked traditional cigarettes due to the misconception about the safety of e-cigarettes [ 12 – 14 ]. In Saudi Arabia, few studies showed a high prevalence of e-cigarette use among college students, ranging between 21% and 32% [ 14 – 16 ].…”

The Use of Vaping Among Male Health Sciences Students Compared to Other Male Students in Riyadh

“…A study in Jeddah revealed that the most common reason is entertainment, followed by peer effects [7]. Moreover, a study at Umm Al-Qura University showed that the most common reason for smoking e-cigarettes was the taste, followed by trying to quit smoking [20].…”

Public awareness, prevalence, and regulations for the sale of electronic cigarettes in Arab countries: A narrative review

“…Most of the studies (n=17) included in this review were conducted in Saudi Arabia [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]55 . The first study was conducted in 2014 (participants, n=3027).…”