Prevalence, Correlates, and Perception of E-cigarettes among Undergraduate Students of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Table 2

Description of e-cigarette-related factors and perceptions including all participants.

Statements and responses	Frequency ()	Percentage (%)
Ever use of EC	86	21.2
Boys	71	17.5
Girls	15	3.7
Current use of EC	24	5.9
Boys	22	5.4
Girls	2	0.5
Heard about EC	222	54.8
Current smoking habit of family members	107	26.4
Current EC use of family members	19	4.7
Current smoking habit of older siblings	33	8.1
Current EC use of older siblings	23	5.1
Perception on EC
EC help in smoking cessation	141	34.8
EC promotes conventional smoking	176	43.5
EC should be banned	269	66.4
EC should be regulated like other tobacco products	172	42.5
EC are harmful for our health	361	89.1
If yes, degree of harmfulness of e-cigarettes is as compared to conventional smoking
More harmful	143	35.3
Equally harmful	165	40.7
Less harmful	97	24
No. of friends using EC
Zero	324	80
One	27	6.8
More than 1	33	8.2
Reasons for current use of EC # multiple response	Frequency ()	%
Variety of flavors	18	75
Better taste	15	62.5
Not or less harmful for health	14	58.3
Become stylish and fancy	13	54.2
Easier to cut down or quit smoking	13	54.2
Can use anywhere because of no smoke	10	41.7
Current use of EC along with conventional cigarette	6	24
Use of conventional smoking prior to EC	10	41.7
Reasons for ever use of EC # multiple response	Frequency ()	%
Suggestions by close friend	50	80.6
Heard of better taste	43	50
Makes stylish and fancy	33	38.4
Shift from conventional smoking	15	24.2
To quit conventional smoking	27	31.4
Where do you purchase e-cigarettes? # multiple response
Online shops	21	24.4
Ask close ones to bring from foreign country	18	20.9
Valley shops	64	74.4
Students who tried e-cigarettes shifted to current users	24	27.9