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. 2024 Oct 17:12:e18167.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18167. eCollection 2024.

Electronic cigarettes and their association with stress, depression, and anxiety among dental students in the UAE-a pilot cross sectional study

Waseem Tawba  1 , Mohamed El Qadiri  2 , Mustafa Al-Adhami  2 , Nour Almehmeed  2 , Natheer H Al-Rawi  3 , Manal Awad  4
Affiliations

Electronic cigarettes and their association with stress, depression, and anxiety among dental students in the UAE-a pilot cross sectional study

Waseem Tawba et al. PeerJ. .

Abstract

Background: During dental school, students may encounter stressful events that contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression; in response to these factors, some students use vaping or electronic cigarettes.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between electronic cigarettes use and stress, anxiety, and depression among dental students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 142 dental students in their preclinical, clinical, or internship year was conducted. The 142 participants were split evenly between two groups: smokers and nonsmokers. The average age of the study's male and female participants was 21.6 years. Using the DASS 21 scale, participants were instructed to complete an electronic questionnaire assessing the association between electronic cigarettes use and stress, anxiety, and depression in smokers and nonsmokers.

Results: According to the findings of this study, stress, anxiety, and depression were significantly associated with electronic cigarette use. Compared to non-smokers, electronic cigarette smokers reported higher levels of severe/extremely severe depression (OR: 10.34, 95% CI: [4.23-24.1]), anxiety (OR: 13.8, 95% CI: [5.4-30.1]) and stress (OR: 27.6, 95% CI: [8.9-85.8]). Compared to males, females were 2.5 times (95% CI: [1.02-6.1]) more likely to report severe/extremely severe anxiety (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant correlation between the use of electronic cigarettes and elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among dental students in the UAE.

Keywords: Anxiety and stress; E-cigarettes and depression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mean DASS_21 subscales by smoking status.
(A) Stress (B) Anxiety (C) Depression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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