E-cigarette use and health information needs among a university student population in Melbourne, Australia.

OBJECTIVE

We explored e-cigarette use, e-cigarette knowledge, attitudes, intentions to use and access to e-cigarette health information among young adults enrolled at an Australian university.

METHODS

Respondents completed a survey about e-cigarette use and health resources about vaping. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 28.0.

RESULTS

Responses were received from n = 1,094 students aged 18-25 years. Current e-cigarette use was reported by 13.1% of respondents, daily use 7.6% and ever use 26.8%. Prevalence was greater among men, those reporting more psychological distress, alcohol use and worse academic performance. More than half (51.2%) perceived e-cigarette use as common among their peers and one-third were curious to try an e-cigarette in the future. Domestic and international student e-cigarette use was similar, however, international students tended to access less reputable sources for health information about vaping.

CONCLUSION

Tailored strategies for domestic and international student groups are needed to address e-cigarette use among university cohorts. Universities provide a setting in which health information and cessation support can be provided to a well-defined group, by dedicated and well-resourced health and wellbeing teams. These results provide a rich resource to guide health promotion, prevention and cessation activities on campus.