Electronic cigarette smoking behavior among university students in a Northeastern Region University, Thailand

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to examine the factors associated with electronic cigarette use among undergraduate students at a university in the northeastern region of Thailand. The sample consisted of 234 students. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire comprising five sections: demographic characteristics, e-cigarette use behavior, motivation, attitudes, and perceived risk of diseases related to e-cigarette use. Content validity was assessed by three experts, yielding an index of item-objective congruence ranging from .67 to 1.00. The reliability of the instrument, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, was .89, .88, .83, and .92, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test.

The results indicated that most participants were male (68.80%) and initiated e-cigarette use between the ages of 16 and 20 years. Daily use was reported by 66.24% of the participants. The primary reason for initial use was stress relief (41.90%), followed by use during social gatherings (31.20%). The levels of motivation, attitudes, and perceived risk of disease related to e-cigarette use were at a moderate level (mean = 3.21, 3.15, and 2.84, respectively). Factors significantly associated with e-cigarette use behavior included gender, age, and type of residence. Male students were more likely to use e-cigarettes than females (r = .274, p < .001). Increasing age was positively associated with e-cigarette use (r = .165, p = .011). And participants who lived in off-campus dormitories or at home were significantly more likely to use e-cigarettes than those living in university dormitories (r = .158, p = .015), possibly due to easier access to e-cigarette products.