Determinants of use and perceived harm of combustible tobacco and electronic cigarettes among high school students in Prague

Background: The use of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes is a growing public health concern, especially among children and adolescents. Understanding the factors that impact both the use, and the perception of the harm related to these products is essential for developing effective prevention strategies targeting young people. Objective: The aim of this study is to map the use of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes as well as the perceived risk of these products in a population of students from selected secondary schools in Prague. The partial aim was to determine whether the perceived harmfulness of the product, type of school, and gender play any role in the use of e-cigarettes or tobacco. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey in secondary schools in the Capital City of Prague in cooperation with prevention methodologists. Data were collected in the first years of vocational and general secondary schools from students with an average age of 15 years. Results and conclusion: The difference in frequency of tobacco product use between girls and boys was statistically insignificant, whereas the difference in tobacco product use between students at secondary schools providing general education and vocational education was found to be statistically significant. Perceived harmfulness of combustible cigarettes was significantly affected by the type of school. Regarding electronic cigarettes, the perceived harmfulness was significantly affected by both the type of school and gender. For electronic cigarettes and regular cigarettes, perceived harmfulness and school type appeared to be the predictors of use. Regarding electronic cigarettes, school type, perceived risk of the product, and gender were the predictors of use.