IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i5p4273-d1082809.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding Determinants of Electronic Cigarette and Heated Tobacco Product Use among Young Adults in Lebanon: Prevention and Policy Implications

Author

Listed:
  • Sanaa Mugharbil

    (Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon)

  • Malak Tleis

    (Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon)

  • Maya Romani

    (Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon)

  • Ramzi G. Salloum

    (Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon
    Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • Rima Nakkash

    (Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon
    Global and Community Health Department, College of Public Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA)

Abstract

In line with the global trends, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) have found their way to the Lebanese market. The present study aims to explore the determinants of e-cigarette and HTP use among young adults in Lebanon. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants aged 18–30 residing in Lebanon, who were familiar with e-cigarettes products. Twenty-one consenting participants were interviewed via Zoom and the verbatim transcriptions were analyzed thematically. The outcome expectancy theory was used to categorize the results into determinants and deterrents of use. HTPs were viewed by participants as another mode of smoking. The results showed that most participants perceived e-cigarettes and HTPs to be healthier alternatives to cigarettes/waterpipes and to be used as smoking cessation tools. Both e-cigarettes and HTPs were found to be easily accessible in Lebanon; although, in the recent economic crisis, e-cigarettes have become unaffordable. More research is needed to investigate the motivations and behaviors of e-cigarette and HTP users if effective policies and regulations are to be developed and enforced. Furthermore, greater public health efforts need to be made to increase awareness of the harmful impacts of e-cigarettes and HTPs and to implement evidence-based cessation programs tailored to those modes of smoking.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanaa Mugharbil & Malak Tleis & Maya Romani & Ramzi G. Salloum & Rima Nakkash, 2023. "Understanding Determinants of Electronic Cigarette and Heated Tobacco Product Use among Young Adults in Lebanon: Prevention and Policy Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-14, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4273-:d:1082809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4273/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4273/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chetan Khatri & Stephen J Chapman & James Glasbey & Michael Kelly & Dmitri Nepogodiev & Aneel Bhangu & J Edward Fitzgerald & on behalf of the STARSurg Committee, 2015. "Social Media and Internet Driven Study Recruitment: Evaluating a New Model for Promoting Collaborator Engagement and Participation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Linda Haddad & Omar El-Shahawy & Roula Ghadban & Tracey E. Barnett & Emily Johnson, 2015. "Waterpipe Smoking and Regulation in the United States: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Sarah D. Kowitt & Clare Meernik & Hannah M. Baker & Amira Osman & Li-Ling Huang & Adam O. Goldstein, 2017. "Perceptions and Experiences with Flavored Non-Menthol Tobacco Products: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cristine D. Delnevo & Michelle Jeong & Ollie Ganz & Daniel P. Giovenco & Erin Miller Lo, 2021. "The Effect of Cigarillo Packaging Characteristics on Young Adult Perceptions and Intentions: An Experimental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Alice Blukacz & Báltica Cabieses & Alexandra Obach & Alejandra Carreño Calderón & María Inés Álvarez & Paula Madrid & Isabel Rada, 2023. "Promoting the Participation of “Hard-to-Reach” Migrant Populations in Qualitative Public Health Research during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Rajan Kumar Singh & Nishtha Chawla & Rakesh Kumar Chadda, 2021. "Letter to Editor regarding ‘COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: An emotional health perspective of Indians on Twitter’," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(8), pages 1077-1078, December.
    4. Sanaa N. Al-Haj Ali & Ra’fat I. Farah & Serene Alhariqi, 2022. "Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi Medical Students about Emergency Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, October.
    5. May Yee Melissa Lau, 2020. "Effects of Marketing Mix on Students’ Selection of Transnational Top-up Degrees in Hong Kong," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 27-34.
    6. Lucie Böhmová & David Chudán, 2018. "Analyzing Social Media Data for Recruiting Purposes," Acta Informatica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2018(1), pages 4-21.
    7. Brian L. Rostron & Joanne T. Chang & Cindy M. Chang & Rebecca A. Jackson & Bridget K. Ambrose, 2020. "ENDS Flavor Preference by Menthol Cigarette Smoking Status among US Adults, 2018–2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-8, December.
    8. Waleed Mansi G Alshammari & Fahad Maiyah M Alshammari & Faiz Mayah M Alshammry, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Adoption of E-Health Management among Saudi Citizens with Moderating Role of E-Health Literacy," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 13(3), pages 47-61.
    9. Liane M. Schneller & Maansi Bansal-Travers & Maciej L. Goniewicz & Scott McIntosh & Deborah Ossip & Richard J. O’Connor, 2019. "Use of Flavored E-Cigarettes and the Type of E-Cigarette Devices Used among Adults and Youth in the US—Results from Wave 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2015–2016)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-12, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4273-:d:1082809. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.