Electronic Smoking Prevalence and Awareness among Al-Nahrain Undergraduate Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Main Article Content
Keywords
Electronic, smoking, students, awareness, Iraq
Abstract
Background: Smoking is a significant global cause of preventable morbidity and mortality, resulting in six million deaths worldwide each year. Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults globally. Aim: This study aims to determine the prevalence of electronic smoking and awareness among Al-Nahrain undergraduate medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq. Data were collected during March and April, 2022. A total of 474 undergraduate students completed a modified standard questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-26. Results: The prevalence of electronic smoking was found to be 12% of the total sample. Of the students surveyed, 350 (73.8%) were aware of electronic cigarettes. A significant association was observed (P-Value < 0.05) between smoking and being male, having history of smoking among friends or relatives, and a lack of awareness that electronic cigarettes are similar traditional cigarette smoking. Conclusions: More than one-tenth of the sample reported history of electronic smoking, and they were generally aware of most information regarding it. The usage is a significant public health issue; therefore, it is crucial to implement strict laws and policies to minimize the sale of these products to the younger population. Health promotion strategies should be developed to reduce the usage of electronic cigarettes.
References
2. Hinderaker K, Power DV, Allen S, Parker E, Okuyemi K. What do medical students know about e-cigarettes? A cross-sectional survey from one U.S. medical school. BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1134-1
3. Lin M, Chu M, Li X, Ma H, Fang Z, Mao L, et al. Factors influencing adolescent experimental and current smoking behaviors based on social cognitive theory: A cross-sectional study in Xiamen. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1093264. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1093264
4. West R. Tobacco smoking: Health impact, prevalence, correlates, and interventions. Psychol Health. 2017;32(8):1018–36. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2017.1325890
5. Alexander JP, Coleman BN, Johnson SE, Tessman GK, Tworek C, Dickinson DM. Smoke and vapor: Exploring the terminology landscape among electronic cigarette users. Tob Regul Sci. 2016;2(3):204–13. doi: 10.18001/TRS.2.3.1
6. Cunningham A, Slayford S, Vas C, Gee J, Costigan S, Prasad K. Development, validation, and application of a device to measure e-cigarette users' puffing topography. Sci Rep. 2016;6:35071. doi: 10.1038/srep35071
7. Cherian SV, Kumar A, Estrada-Y-Martin RM. E-cigarette or vaping product-associated lung injury: A review. Am J Med. 2020;133(6):657–63. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.02.004
8. Layden JE, Ghinai I, Pray I, Kimball A, Layer M, Tenforde MW, et al. Pulmonary illness related to e-cigarette use in Illinois and Wisconsin – Final report. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(10):903–16. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1911614
9. Abafalvi L, Pénzes M, Urban R, Foley KL, Kaan R, Kispélyi B, Hermann P. Perceived health effects of vaping among Hungarian adult e-cigarette-only and dual users: A cross-sectional internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):1–10. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6629-0
10. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on the Review of the Health Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. Public health consequences of e-cigarettes. Washington (DC): National Academies Press; 2018 Jan 23. PMID: 29894118
11. Gaur S, Agnihotri R. Health effects of trace metals in electronic cigarette aerosols: Systematic review. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019;188(2):295–315. doi: 10.1007/s12011-018-1423-x
12. Seiler-Ramadas R, Sandner I, Haider S, Grabovac I, Dorner TE. Health effects of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use on organ systems and its implications for public health. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2021;133(19–20):1020–7. doi: 10.1007/s00508-020-01711-z
13. Almutham A, Altami M, Sharaf F, AlAraj A. E-cigarette use among medical students at Qassim University: Knowledge, perception, and prevalence. J Family Med Prim Care. 2019;8(9):2921–6. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_567_19
14. Muhammad Ahmed S. Prevalence and perceptions toward electronic cigarettes (vaping) use among medical students: A new public health challenge in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. J Med Chem Sci. 2024;7(5):720–8. doi: 10.26655/JMCHEMSCI.2024.5.8
15. Adib A, Normala R, Lukman ZM, Azlini C, Kama MY. Student awareness about the use of electronic cigarettes in Malaysia. Int J Res Innov Soc Sci. 2018;2(7). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337494700_Student_Awareness_about_the_Use_of_Electronic_Cigarettes_in_Malaysia
16. Abrams DB. Promise and peril of e-cigarettes: Can disruptive technology make cigarettes obsolete? JAMA. 2014;311(2):135–6. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.285347
17. Alves J, Perelman J, Soto-Rojas V, Richter M, Rimpelä A, Loureiro I, et al. The role of parental smoking on adolescent smoking and its social patterning: A cross-sectional survey in six European cities. J Public Health (Oxf). 2017;39(2):339–46. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdw040
18. Abd Razak R, Hazlyna NH, Shahril AE, Azman AN, Zainudin NM. Awareness of e-cigarettes among students in Malaysian public universities. Turk J Comput Math Educ. 2021;12(3):1602–8. Available from: https://turcomat.org/index.php/turkbilmat/article/view/975
19. Lotrean LM. Use of electronic cigarettes among Romanian university students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:358. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1713-6
20. Joung MJ, Han MA, Park J, Ryu SY. Association between family and friend smoking status and adolescent smoking behavior and e-cigarette use in Korea. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016;13(12):1183. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13121183
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.