Title: E-cigarettes epidemic and the need for education

Authors: Salome Kapella Mshigeni

Addresses: Department of Health Science and Human Ecology, California State University, San Bernardino, California, USA

Abstract: E-cigarettes are now the most used form of tobacco in the USA despite recently reported illnesses associated with them. E-cigarettes are still popular among 12 million Americans and hence nursing programs need to keep pace providing education. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were conducted using secondary data. The sample consisted of 21,177 participants. Findings indicate that participants consumed e-cigarettes to quit smoking, for enjoyment, or to reduce tobacco cigarette smoking. Age (p = .024, odds ratio of 1.038), insurance status (p = .030, odds ratio of .186), and education level (p = .002, odds ratio of 13.045) played a significant role in consumption. Study findings suggest that e-cigarette users consume the product for various reasons. This presents an educational opportunity for nursing programs to address e-cigarette misconceptions, particularly for first-time users. Utilisation of the 5As model for smoking cessation in addressing e-cigarette consumption is proposed.

Keywords: e-cigarettes; epidemic; smoking; interventions; nursing; education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2021.114802

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2021 Vol.7 No.3, pp.163 - 174

Received: 27 Oct 2020
Accepted: 03 Feb 2021
Published online: 06 May 2021 *