Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions About E‐Cigarette Smoking Among Students in the Dental Fields in Jordan
<b>Introduction:</b> Tobacco use is common in Jordan, with electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) becoming more prevalent, especially among the youth. Despite this trend, very few studies have been conducted on e-cigarette use among dental students, who should be more informed about the consequences of e-cigarette use on oral health. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence, knowledge, attitude, and perception of e-cigarette smoking among Jordanian dental students with respect to its effects on oral health. <b>Methods:</b> The study utilized a cross-sectional survey method and used a convenient sampling approach. The study included 645 students from Dentistry Schools in Jordan. <b>Results:</b> The most popular smoking type among participants was waterpipe. A total of 16% of students reported smoking e-cigarettes. The majority of e-cigarette users reported initiation of smoking at 17-18 years of age. Most users thought that e-cigarettes are less harmful compared to regular cigarettes, while 87% of them acknowledged the addictive nature of the product. Students demonstrated good awareness of the deleterious effects of e-cigarettes on oral health, and two-thirds of them expressed concern about its effects on general health. <b>Conclusions:</b> The prevalence of e-cigarette smoking among dental students in Jordan is high and necessitates health education programs to increase awareness of the associated health risks among young adults, specifically in educational settings.
Authors
- Zain A. Malkawi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6190-5407)
- Omar F. Khabour (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3006-3104)
- Suhair Ref’at Obeidat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2760-7619)
- Amani Gh AlSa'di
Institutions
- Jordan University of Science and Technology (JO)
- Médecins Sans Frontières (JO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Dentistry
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1155/ijod/6521183
- Primary Topic
- Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Jordan University of Science and Technology
- Deanship of Research, Jordan University of Science and Technology