Journal
JOURNAL OF FAMILY MEDICINE AND PRIMARY CARE
Volume 8, Issue 9, Pages 2921-2926Publisher
WOLTERS KLUWER MEDKNOW PUBLICATIONS
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_567_19
Keywords
E-cigarettes; electronic cigarettes; medical students; smoking; smoking cessation
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: The popularity of e-cigarettes is increasing rapidly worldwide and advertisements for such products are becoming ubiquitous in the media. Health concerns and smoking cessation are the most commonly reported reasons for traditional tobacco smokers to shift to e-cigarettes. As a result, the global market for e-cigarettes is on the rise. However, they are still a potential cause for many diseases. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out at Qassim University in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. A prevalidated questionnaire was distributed to medical students in April 2018 to evaluate the experience, knowledge, and awareness of e-cigarettes among the participants. Results: About one in ten students confirmed having smoked an e-cigarette. There was no significant relationship between e-cigarette users and demographic factors, such as gender, academic level, or age. However, the study showed a significant association between e-cigarette smoking and having an e-cigarette smoker among family members or friends. Most students 71.9% were not sure whether e-cigarettes were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for smoking cessation. Only 23.3% of those surveyed believed that e-cigarettes can help in smoking cessation, whereas only 11% said that they would recommend it for a patient. On the contrary, 49.6% agreed that e-cigarettes are addictive. In response to another question, 92% reported receiving no education in medical school about e-cigarettes. Conclusion: Our study showed that medical students lacked knowledge about e-cigarettes. Therefore, more studies are needed to raise awareness about e-cigarettes, especially since the habit of using e-cigarettes is invading our society.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available