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. 2024 Sep 18:10.
doi: 10.18332/tpc/192694. eCollection 2024.

Effectiveness of an intervention program to develop e-cigarette control leaders at the University in Lampang Province, Thailand

Supa Vittaporn  1   2 , Krailat Kanthajaem  3 , Arpapon Coothongkul  4 , Kasama Pooseesod  1   5
Affiliations

Effectiveness of an intervention program to develop e-cigarette control leaders at the University in Lampang Province, Thailand

Supa Vittaporn et al. Tob Prev Cessat. .

Abstract

Introduction: The use of e-cigarettes is increasing worldwide, especially among young adults. Due to the health risks, this study aimed to assess undergraduate students' e-cigarette use and attitudes toward them, and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program to develop e-cigarette control leaders at the University in Lampang province, Thailand.

Methods: Participatory action research (PAR) was conducted among 46 undergraduate students. To assess the situations of undergraduate students' e-cigarette use and attitudes toward them, in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 of those students - nine users and nine non-users. The remaining 28 were student leaders who were given questionnaires and took part in focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention program in developing e-cigarette control leaders. Descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic analysis of the content. This study took place at the University in Lampang province, Thailand, in 2023.

Results: Regarding the use of e-cigarettes on the part of undergraduate students and their attitudes about their use, the majority of users stated that e-cigarettes were accessible, appealing, and more socially acceptable than conventional cigarettes. However, most non-users cited vapor smell and health impacts as their main reason for not using e-cigarettes. The intervention program to develop leaders in e-cigarette control could significantly enhance the leaders' knowledge (p<0.001) and attitude regarding e-cigarettes (p=0.001). After their anti-e-cigarette campaign, the soft skills and managerial abilities of the leaders in e-cigarette control improved, and the knowledge and attitude regarding e-cigarettes of undergraduate students who attended the campaign also increased.

Conclusions: The intervention program to develop leaders in e-cigarette control resulted in positive outcomes. This program could enhance the leaders' knowledge and attitude regarding e-cigarettes. Their soft skills and managerial abilities in e-cigarette control also improved.

Keywords: Thailand; e-cigarettes; participatory action research; student leader; undergraduate student.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the PAR process for developing and evaluating an intervention program to develop e-cigarette control leaders at the University in Lampang Province, Thailand
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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