Factors Associated with E-Cigarette Use among Vocational Students in Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

The prevalence of e-cigarette use among Thai youth has continued to increase, particularly among vocational students, who represent a high-risk population. This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine personal, predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors associated with e-cigarette use behavior among students from a vocational education institution under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, based on the PRECEDE Framework. A total of 301 students were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were used for data analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

          The results showed that 41.20% of the participants (n = 124) were current e-cigarette users. Among these users, the mean age of initiation was 14.89 ± 2.01 years, and the majority reported occasional use (1-14 days during the past 30 days) (71.77%). Analysis of factors associated with e-cigarette use behavior during the past 30 days among the 124 e-cigarette users revealed that personal factors, including sex, age, educational level, grade point average, monthly income, source of income, residence, cohabitation status, history of conventional cigarette smoking, and substance use, were not significantly associated with e-cigarette use behavior (p >0.05). Self-efficacy in refusing and controlling e-cigarette use was negatively associated with e-cigarette use behavior at a low level (r_s = −0.398, p <0.001). In contrast, product diversity (r_s = 0.693, p <0.001), marketing promotion (r_s = 0.342, p < 0.001), and access to e-cigarette-related information (r_s = 0.208, p = 0.020) were positively associated with e-cigarette use behavior. No significant associations were found between reinforcing factors and e-cigarette use behavior.

          The findings indicate that e-cigarette prevention strategies targeting vocational students should emphasize enhancing self-efficacy in refusing and controlling e-cigarette use, while simultaneously strengthening regulations on online e-cigarette marketing, access to e-cigarette-related information, and the diversity of e-cigarette products. These measures may help prevent the initiation of e-cigarette use and reduce its prevalence among adolescents more effectively.