Differences in Awareness Levels of E-cigarette Use among Adolescents in Riyadh City

Abstract

Results: The obtained results showed that the average scores for awareness and thoughts on the use of e-cigarettes among students were 4.02 and 3.43, respectively. The average score for emotions after using e-cigarettes was 3.25. In the field of after-reflection, the arithmetic mean values were notably high. The highest arithmetic mean value of 4.37 secured first place, while paragraph 3 followed closely behind which states "I think the use of cigarettes causes problems for the environment,” acquired the lowest arithmetic mean value of 3.73 and ranked last, while the overall arithmetic mean was 4.02. There were no significant differences observed based on age, place of residence, or economic status. However, differences were found when considering educational level, specifically between secondary, university, and postgraduate studies. Notably, statistically significant differences were observed in favour of the secondary category in terms of the use of electronic cigarettes. Conclusion: The study's findings suggest that there is a significant level of awareness regarding the use of electronic cigarettes among the target group, particularly adolescents. This underscores the importance of this developmental stage in fostering the adoption of healthy habits that can have long-lasting effects. One of the crucial stages in the development of human health behaviours is highlighted, with a particular emphasis on the avoidance of smoking.