Prevalence, Awareness and Perception of Electronic Cigarettes Usage Among Undergraduate Students Enrolled in Medical and Non-medical Related Programs in a Public University
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Abstract
Introduction: Vaping electronic cigarettes has been a worrying issue due to its adverse effects and rising usage in universities in Malaysia. Many people misunderstand that smoking e-cigarettes is safer and less harmful than conventional cigarette smoking. This study assessed the prevalence, awareness, and perception of e-cigarette smoking among students from medical and non-medical-related courses in a public university. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 406 students in a public university in Selangor, Malaysia. Results: Respondents were mostly between 22 and 24-year-old undergraduates, with the majority being female. 18.5% of the respondents have tried e-cigarettes, with the highest percentage (41.3%) of them citing dealing with stress as the prime reason for vaping e-cigarettes. Bivariate analysis shows that there was a significant association between the prevalence of e-cigarette usage and demographic variables, i.e., age (p = 0.046), gender (p = 0.001) and faculty (p = 0.007). Simple logistic regression confirmed that male students are 5.81 times more likely to use e-cigarettes than females. Students from the faculty of medical-related programs are 0.49 times less likely to use e-cigarettes than those from non-medical-related programs. The majority of students were aware of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes. There was a significant difference in the mean prevalence, awareness, and perception score favouring students from medical-related programs. Conclusion: With good awareness, age, gender, and faculty are significant factors that can influence e-cigarette smoking. Public health initiatives and policies involving spreading the correct understanding and perception to students, is pertinent.
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