Electronic cigarettes use among teenagers in Tunisia

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are batterypowered devices developed with the goal of mimicking the action of smoking. Their use has increased over the past years. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers in high school and to examine the predictor factors. Methods: A survey was conducted with a sample of 234 students in Mohamed Ali high school in Sfax, a town in the south of Tunisia, in February 2020. We estimated e-cigarette prevalence among adolescents and the predictor factors of vaping. Results: Among high school students aged 15 to 20, 58,8% have ever used e-cigarette, 38,3% had done so within the previous 30 days and 20,5 % were regular users of vapes. The mean age of e-cigarette users was 16,59 +/- 0,908 years old, 83,3% of e-cigarettes users were males. Male gender, high socio-economic level, practicing leisure activities, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol were associated with regular use of e-cigarettes. Overall, 51, 6% of never smoking students reported ever use of e-cigarettes. The main reason for initiating e-cigarettes use was curiosity (65%). Conclusions: Our findings showed the significant use of e-cigarettes among high school students thus it would be interesting to provide adolescents with information about the use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.