electronic cigarettes among healthcare students at an urban southeastern university in us prevalence awareness and beliefs

Purpose: The use of electronic cigarettes is rising among young individuals, especially former and current tobacco cigarette smokers. The purpose in this study was to identify the prevalence of electronic cigarette use, awareness status of electronic cigarette components and delivery methods, and explore the beliefs concerning e-cigarette use among health care students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 217 healthcare students representing undergraduate programs of nursing, nutrition and respiratory therapy professions. A 16-item survey assessed student perception of electronic cigarette prevalence, awareness, and beliefs regarding use. Results: The response rate was 98.1%, females were 87% of the respondents and the ages of 19-25 years made up 70% of the respondents. The majority of respondents had heard of electronic cigarettes (99.5%), and 21.2% had used electronic cigarettes at least once in their lifetime. The mean awareness score was 4.8±1.51(1-7?); and smokers revealed the greatest mean awareness score of 5.5±1.97. The status of awareness was significantly different among individuals who have friends who used electronic cigarettes (5.25±1.23) than who do not have friends used it (4.10±1.66) p <.001; as well as the individuals who have parents who used electronic cigarettes (5.50±0.93) than who do not have parents who used it (4.70±1.97) p = 0.02. Most of the respondents disagreed that electronic cigarettes are less dangerous than traditional cigarettes or can help smokers to quit. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that most of the health care students did not use electronic cigarettes. Individuals who have used electronic cigarettes have friends who have used electronic cigarettes as well. We have found general disagreements on electronic cigarettes use as a less harmful alternative to combustible tobacco cigarettes to help smokers quit.