E-cigarettes Perceptions and Use among Jordanian Medical Students

Abstract

Purpose: Medical students are the cornerstone for future public health awareness; this study aimed to assess e-cigarettes perceptions and use among medical students.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based national study. The study included all five medical schools in the country and addressed students in their clinical years. Data were collected through a self-administered and structured paper-based questionnaire between Dec 1, 2018, and Mar 30, 2019. Data obtained were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows and univariate inferential tests were employed to examine differences between groups.

Results: A total sample of 1819 (97.4%) students returned their questionnaires; with a declaration of their smoking habits from the five medical schools, 47% are males, and 53% are females. Only 13 students 0.7% of all students or 2.1% of all smokers used e-cigarettes solely, but 177 students 9.5% of all students or 29% of all smokers used e-cigarettes combined with other types of smoking. Most medical students (86%) were aware of e-cigarettes. The main motive behind using e-cigarettes was the rare and different flavors provided by these cigarettes. The general perception among smokers and non-smokers is that e-cigarettes are less harmful and helpful in quitting smoking.

Conclusion: Most medical students are aware of e-cigarettes. While their use as the only form of smoking is rare, e-cigarettes are frequently used in combination with other types of smoking.