ABSTRACT

Introduction:
Tobacco smoking has reached an alarming rate among the young Palestinian population, specifically university students. Electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigarettes,” are an emerging hazard in the West Bank. However, the epidemiology of e-cigarette smoking among Palestinians is poorly described. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, motivation, dependence, and readiness to quit e-cigarette smoking among male university students.

Methods:
In 2022, face-to-face interviews were conducted in a cross-sectional study that included male students from the largest public universities north of the West Bank. The Fagerström test was used to determine dependence on e-cigarette smoking. In addition, a Ladder contemplation scale was used to assess the readiness to quit smoking. Finally, adjusted binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between e-cigarettes and other tobacco forms.

Results:
A total of 548 students agreed to participate, and 20 were excluded. Most e-cigarette smokers (71.4%) had low dependence on e-cigarette smoking, while 17.1% and 11.4% had moderate and high dependence, respectively. Moreover, 58.6% were ready to quit, and 42.9% tried quitting smoking for several days to a month. E-cigarette smoking was associated with cigarette smoking (aOR=2.16, 95%CI (1.18-3.95), P-value=0.013), waterpipe smoking (aOR=4.31, 95%CI (2.44-7.61), P-value<0.001), and energy drink use (aOR=2.80, 95%CI (1.43-5.48), P-value=0.003). E-cigarette smokers believed that e-cigarettes tasted better (68.6%), cheaper (37.1%), less harmful (28.6%), and more refined than traditional cigarettes (27.8%).

Conclusions:
Because of its alluring flavors and perceived lack of harmful health effects, e-cigarette smoking has grown popular among Palestinian university students. E-cigarette smokers were also cigarette and waterpipe smokers and energy drink consumers. We recommend cessation programs for students willing to quit and provide better education regarding e-cigarette smoking and its health effects.

Title

Population Medicine

Publisher

European Publishing/ De Gruyter

Publisher Country

Germany

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

None

Publication Type

Prtinted only

Volume

5

Year

2023

Pages

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