A new tool for assessing tobacco use among health profession students: an updated version of the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS).

AIM: The aim of this study is to validate a new tool, based on the framework of the GHPSS, including questions on the use of all tobacco- and nicotine-based products currently available on the market (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated tobacco products), providing an updated version of the GHPSS tool.

METHODS

Eight new questions were added to the GHPSS questionnaire in order to also assess the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The validation study was carried out at Sapienza University of Rome in May 2025, using a Google form. Reliability of the new questionnaire was measured with Cronbach's alpha.

RESULTS

209 medical students entered the validation study (mean age 23.44 years, 63.6% females). This new tool shows very adequate reliability (0.832), similar to that of the original GHPSS questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

The study testifies to the usefulness of the new tool for future studies, at least at the national level. This update is intended to collect new and more representative data and information regarding the health profession students population.