Knowledge, attitude, and engagement in vaping among third-year nursing students at a private university

Abstract

This study which aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and engagement of vaping among third year nursing students at a private university employed a descriptive correlational research design. The respondents of the study involved N= 223 third year nursing students selected randomly. A researchers-made questionnaire was utilized to collect the data and was analyzed. Descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Crammer’s V and Spearman’s rho) were utilized. Based on the findings of this study, the third-year nursing students of a private university have a fair understanding of e-cigarettes as they scored and knowledge items out of 15. However, gaps of concern were seen in understanding e-cigarette emissions and the governing bodies regarding these devices. The attitude towards usage of e-cigarette was neutral as the score was 39.8 while attitude strength was also moderate e.g., respondents expressed some concerns about e-cigarettes use safety and public health implications. Nursing students revealed a significant knowledge gap, in regulatory control in particular, despite moderate overall knowledge levels. The vaping engagement was low, with no significant correlation between knowledge and behavior, but attitude strongly influenced their vaping habits.