College students' perceptions of electronic cigarette risks and benefits: a concept mapping study.
Health Educ Res
; 39(4): 398-408, 2024 Jul 18.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38776131
ABSTRACT
The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is on the rise among young adults, with higher public acceptance than traditional tobacco. A study in Taiwan employed concept mapping to explore risk and benefit perceptions of e-cigarette use among college students. The study involved 100 college students from 11 Taiwanese universities, with 50 being e-cigarette users and 50 non-users. Data collection and analysis were done with the GroupWisdom™ platform. Participants engaged in brainstorming, rating and sorting their perceptions, which were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses. The participants' mean age was 19.24 years, and 55% were male. This process resulted in the identification of 10 clusters encompassing 64 statements, with 3 clusters focused on risk perceptions, 6 on benefit perceptions, and 1 dealing with e-cigarette regulations. Notably, risk perceptions were rated higher than benefit perceptions. Non-users held significantly higher risk perceptions and lower benefit perceptions across the nine clusters related to e-cigarette use. Concept mapping proved to be an effective tool for understanding college students' perceptions. These findings can assist health educators in comprehending college students' viewpoints on e-cigarette use and in developing targeted interventions. Additionally, exploring benefit perceptions may enhance students' critical thinking skills regarding e-cigarette advertising.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Students
/
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Health Educ Res
Journal subject:
EDUCACAO
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Taiwan