Uso de cigarro eletrônico por jovens universitários do Rio Grande do Sul: uma análise epidemiológica

Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among university students in Rio Grande do Sul and assess the sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics related to its use. Methods: This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted from March to September 2023. The target population consisted of university students from public or private institutions in the state. The sample, in turn, was delimited by the inclusion of individuals of both sexes, aged 18 years or older, regardless of the course or area of study. Data collection was carried out through an electronic questionnaire, covering questions about sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics related to electronic cigarette consumption. The study was submitted to and approved by the Ethics Committee on Research with Human Beings of the Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) under approval number 6,001,003. The questionnaire was made available along with the Informed Consent Form through social media such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Data analysis consisted of a descriptive statistic of the prevalence of electronic cigarette use with respective 95% confidence intervals. For the analysis of the outcome distribution according to independent variables, the Pearson chi-square test was applied, considering values of p <0.05 as statistically significant. Results: The final sample consisted of 358 participants, predominantly composed of women (60.4%), aged between 22 and 25 years (47.8%), with a focus on courses in the Health Sciences area (63.7%). Regarding monthly family income, it was observed that the majority had an income above 6 minimum wages (31.8%). The prevalence of electronic cigarette use was 20.1% (95% CI 16-24). Based on analytical statistics, it was observed that the municipality of residence had a positive relationship with electronic cigarette use, with more frequent use reported by university students residing in Pelotas, RS (p = 0.041). Among behavioral characteristics, it was found that the way individuals became acquainted with electronic cigarettes (category "through friends"; p = 0.001), traditional cigarette use (p < 0.001), and the frequency of such use (category "3 days a week/weekend"; p = 0.021) showed a positive relationship with electronic cigarette use. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of electronic cigarette use among university students in the state, representing an important short and medium-term health risk. This phenomenon requires constant surveillance and inter-institutional coordination for an appropriate approach to this new public health issue.