Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes and Cessation Intentions among University Students Using e-Cigarettes (HiPak): A Basis for Education

Background: E-cigarettes, also known as “HiPak”, have surged in popularity worldwide. This led to higher e-cigarette smoking rates, which pose significant health risks. In the Philippines, present research on university students' e-cigarette uses and risk factors is inadequate. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and cessation intentions toward e-cigarette use of university students. Methods: A descriptive correlational research design was used with a modified questionnaire as an instrument. Purposive sampling was used. Frequency and percentage were used to describe the results. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to determine the relationship between participants' attitudes towards e-cigarettes and knowledge of health risks and the Kruskal-Wallis H Test for knowledge of health risks and cessation intention. Results: Using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H-Test with a p-value at 0.05, the results showed that there is no significant difference between the user’s knowledge when grouped according to their demographic profile except for the current living condition, which has a p-value of 0.016. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between the user’s knowledge and their perception that using e-cigarettes makes smokers look relaxed and more acceptable by society than conventional cigarettes, with a p-value of 0.033. Conclusion: Therefore, the reasons why university students smoke e-cigarettes are for socialisation, to relieve stress, and the different flavours. The students only have a moderate level of knowledge regarding the health risks of e-cigarettes. This means that there is a need to conduct health teachings regarding effective stress coping techniques and the health risks of using e-cigarettes. For future studies, it is recommended to consider other variables which may influence the use of e-cigarettes among students.