Effect of Nicotine Consumption on Oral Health and Hygiene Practices Among Medical and Non-Medical Undergraduate Students: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study in Islamabad and Peshawar

Objective: To examine patterns of nicotine consumption, oral hygiene practices, and associated oral healthoutcomes among undergraduate students in Pakistan, with a comparative focus on medical and non-medicaldisciplines across two major cities in Pakistan.Study Design: A comparative cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted from March 2024 to September 2024 amongundergraduate students enrolled in selected medical and non-medical universities across two major cities inPakistan —Islamabad and Peshawar.Methods: A total of 500 undergraduate students were invited to participate; 364 completed the survey(response rate: 73%). Participants were recruited using a structured convenience sampling approach throughclassroom invitations and institutional online platforms. Data were collected via a validated, self-administeredquestionnaire. Responses were analyzed using SPSS version 26, and associations were assessed using the chi- square test, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: The mean age was 21 ± 1.64 years. Nicotine use was reported by 58%, mainly via vapes/e-cigarettes(48%) and cigarettes (35%). Use was higher among males than females (75.2% vs. 24.8%, P = 0.012), with nodifference between medical and non-medical students (49.5% vs. 50.5%, P = 0.285). Oral hygiene habits weresimilar, though users reported greater use of adjunctive aids (90.5% vs. 75.3%, P < 0.001). Oral health problemswere significantly higher among users: oral lesions (38.1% vs. 13.6%), decay (40.5% vs. 11.7%), xerostomia(52.9% vs. 16.2%), bleeding gums (41.4% vs. 29.2%), halitosis (20.0% vs. 9.1%), discoloration (51.0% vs. 29.9%),and sensitivity (61.4% vs. 32.5%) (all P < 0.05).Conclusion: Despite comparable hygiene behaviors across groups, nicotine consumption was stronglyassociated with multiple oral health problems. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted healthpromotion, oral hygiene education, and campus-based nicotine cessation interventions to address this publichealth concern among young adults. How to cite this: Sultan S, Niaz MO, Awais J, Bashir S, Tahira K, Khosa ZA. Effect of Nicotine Consumption on Oral Health and Hygiene Practices among Medical and Non-Medical Undergraduate Students: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study in Islamabad and Peshawar. Life and Science. 2025; 6(4): 528-535. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.891