BACKGROUND: The use of e-cigarettes among youths in Thailand has significantly increased over the past decade, mirroring the unprecedented rise in e-cigarette use among healthcare professional students. This study aimed to investigate e-cigarette use and associated factors among nursing students in Thailand.
METHODS: A classroom-based survey was conducted using a modified standard questionnaire from the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPS) with third- and fourth-year nursing students from 50 nursing schools across both public and private universities in Thailand.
RESULTS: A total of 6,823 students participated in the survey. Among them, 0.4% were current users of traditional cigarettes, while 1.5% used e-cigarettes. Attitudes towards e-cigarettes revealed that 36.7% of students agreed that e-cigarettes were fashionable among teenagers and 24.3% agreed that the modern design of e-cigarettes encourages students to try using them. Factors significantly associated with e-cigarette use among nursing students included gender (male) (OR = 2.070, 95% CI: 1.209–3.545, p = 0.008), having close friends who use tobacco products (OR = 6.370, 95% CI: 4.377–9.270, p < 0.001), and studying at public universities (OR = 1.920, 95% CI: 1.110–3.323, p = 0.020). Additionally, attitudes that e-cigarettes were safer than traditional cigarettes, fashionable, modern, lower in health risks, and promote social engagement were significantly related to e-cigarette use (p < 0.001). Protective factors of e-cigarette use among students included studying at college of nursing under Ministry of Public Health, receiving education on tobacco marketing strategies and participating in tobacco control campaigns.
CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use among nursing students in Thailand is on the rise, surpassing traditional tobacco use. To address this, nursing students should receive education on tobacco marketing tactics, and university-based tobacco control campaigns should be strengthened.