Perception of Vapor Products & its Impact on General Health among Healthcare and Non-healthcare Students

Abstract

Introduction: Global health concerns have been raised by the increasing prevalence of vapor products, such as vapes, e-cigarettes and sheesha. Despite claims of reduced harm, these products pose significant risks to general health, including lung injury, cardiovascular disease, and oral health issues. This study investigated the perceptions of vapor products and their perceived health impacts among healthcare and non-healthcare students. 

Methods: After taking ethical approval and informed consent from all participants, a cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted among healthcare and non-healthcare students to assess perception of vapor products and their perceived impact on health. A convenience sample of 635 participants was obtained. Data was collected using a pre-validated structured questionnaire with content reliability score of 0.762 encompassing demographics, vapor product use, perceptions of health risks, and knowledge sources.The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 635 participants were included (195 males, 440 females), aged 18–35 years (mean = 21.48). Most were undergraduate students (91%), with only 9% pursuing postgraduate education. Vaping was significantly more common among non-healthcare students (n = 119) than healthcare students (n = 69) (p < 0.01). Perceptions of harm varied: healthcare students predominantly viewed e-cigarettes as equally harmful to regular cigarettes, whereas non-healthcare students considered them more harmful. The difference in perceived addictiveness of e-cig over regular cigarettes was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Overall, 80% believed that accessing cigarettes or vapes was easy for youth. The most common reasons for initiating vape use were stress or depression (n = 213), smoking cessation (n = 194), and peer pressure (n = 106). Most users reported no change in physical health; however, sore or dry mouth/throat was the most frequent adverse effect (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: While familiarity with vapor products was widespread, a significant knowledge gap and negative perceptions prevailed among the study population. Healthcare students demonstrated a better understanding of the potential harms compared to their non-healthcare counterparts.