Prevalência de uso e experimentação de dispositivos eletrônicos para fumar entre estudantes universitários do Rio Grande do Sul.

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are non-conventional cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes. In Brazil, the manufacture, import, marketing, distribution, storage, and advertising of ENDS are prohibited by the Collegiate Board Resolution (RDC) No. 855, of April 23, 2024. The health damage caused by the devices is serious and is related to smoking initiation and the risk of nicotine dependence. There is a lack of perception of the risks by users, which leads to the warning of a possible epidemic of use, given the increase in national prevalence. General objective: to describe the prevalence of use and experimentation of electronic smoking devices among university students in Rio Grande do Sul. Manuscript 1: Objective: to describe the prevalence of use and experimentation of ENDS among university students in Rio Grande do Sul. Methods: prospective cross-sectional study, conducted between May and November 2024, with students over 18 years of age affiliated with two universities in Rio Grande do Sul, one public and the other private. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was applied, containing socioeconomic and demographic variables, institutional affiliation, exposure to marketing and perception of health risk. The outcome variable was ENDS experimentation. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: A total of 367 individuals were included, 57.22% of whom were students from private institutions. In both institutions, there was a predominance of women, young people (18 to 24 years old), single individuals, undergraduate students and with institutional affiliation of 2 to 4 years. The use and experimentation of ENDS were more frequent among students from private universities (5.2% and 56.7%, respectively). There is a lower chance of ENDS experimentation for graduate students at private universities (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.85) and a higher chance for students in the humanities area at public universities (OR = 5.29, 95% CI 1.21-23.03). Conclusions: ENDS are being accessed more by undergraduate students and private universities, but the greatest chance of experimentation is related to human sciences courses at public institutions. Manuscript 2: Objective: to analyze the health communication strategies carried out to raise awareness among ENDS users at universities. Methods: scoping review, based on the standards of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), carried out in five databases, searching for references between 2013 and 2024 and in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. The review was carried out between October and December 2024. The acronym Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) was defined as P – ENDS users, C – health communication, and C – universities. The screening and evaluation of the references was performed in the Rayyan software by three reviewers. Results: 3,259 productions were identified, of which 11 publications were included in the study. The references were all from the United States and published in the last 8 years. The most effective health communication strategies include strengthening institutional action in disseminating information about ENDS, the need for educational campaigns focused on smoking cessation, and the use of impactful narratives with direct, clear, non-repetitive, rational or emotionally appealing messages, focusing on clinical evidence and reliable scientific information, and the use of graphic and visual elements with warnings about the risks associated with the product. Conclusions: The health communication strategies analyzed proved to be effective and can have an impact on university students' reflections on the use of ENDS.