Vape Smoking: Prevalence and Perception among Damnhour University Students | ||||
| International Egyptian Journal of Nursing Sciences and Research | ||||
| Article 3, Volume 6, Issue 2, May 2025, Page 48-66 PDF (617.78 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejnsr.2025.370486.1434 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Naglaa Kamel AbdAllh Hussein 
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| Professor of Community Health Nursing-Faculty of Nursing-Damanhour University, Egypt Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: E-cigarette or vape smoking is becoming a worldwide concern, yet vaping information is not widespread among Middle Eastern university students. The paper offers the pattern of vape smoking in Damnhour University, Egypt, which uses classic tobacco smoking predominantly. Aim: To assess the prevalence and perception of vape smoking among Damnhour University students. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used. Subjects: Convenience sampling was applied among 560 university students. Setting: The study was conducted at Damnhour University, Egypt. Tools: An electronic questionnaire was used to measure participants' sociodemographic characteristics, prevalence, perceptions, reasons, and vaping behavior. Results: The prevalence of vape smoking was 10.5%. The significant predictors were tobacco use (OR=13.85, p<0.001), smoking friends (OR=11.42, p<0.001), household smoking status (OR=3.32, p<0.001), male gender (OR=2.76, p=0.001), and being an Engineering faculty member (OR=1.95, p=0.042). 23.9% of the students had significant knowledge gaps. Perceptions varied: 72.7% of them acknowledged vaping harms, but 37.5% viewed it as cheap. Recreation and stress relief were moderately related to positive perceptions (r=0.54, p<0.001). Among the participants, 57.6% of them used vaping in banned indoor places. Conclusion: The study shows a 10.5% vaping prevalence among Damanhour University students in Egypt, with three-quarters of vapers using traditional tobacco simultaneously. Major risk factors include tobacco use, smoking social networks, male gender, and engineering faculty enrollment. Students demonstrate limited knowledge of vaping risks while citing cost benefits and smoking restriction workarounds as primary motivations. Recommendations: Vaping among Egyptian students is linked to varied social and behavioral determinants. Targeted education, peer intervention, and enhanced enforcement of vaping rules are needed. This research completes a geographical gap and recommends a public health policy. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Vaping; prevalence; perceptions; e-cigarettes; university students; Egypt; dual use; public health | ||||
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