Exploring General Practitioners' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards E-Cigarette Use/Vaping in Children and Adolescents: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study in Sydney

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Sep 16;21(9):1215. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091215.

Abstract

(1) Background: The increasing use of e-cigarettes/vaping in children and adolescents has been recognised as a global health concern. We aim to explore the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of General Practitioners (GPs) in Sydney regarding the use of e-cigarettes in children and adolescents and identify the barriers to addressing this issue. (2) Methods: This pilot study was a cross-sectional study conducted using an electronic questionnaire with a Likert scale and free-text responses. (3) Results: Fifty-three GPs participated in the study (male = 24 and female = 29) with a mean age of 50 ± 5.5 years. There was strong agreement (mean 4.5) about respiratory adverse effects and addictive potential. However, there was less awareness of cardiac side effects and the occurrence of burns. There is a lack of conversation about e-cigarettes in GP practice and a deficit of confidence in GPs regarding managing e-cigarette use in children and adolescents. (4) Conclusions: Our pilot study has shown that GPs are somewhat knowledgeable about the potential adverse effects of the use of e-cigarettes in children and adolescents, though there is a lack of knowledge of the complete spectrum of adverse effects and more importantly, there is a paucity of a structured approach to discuss the use of e-cigarettes with children and adolescents, and there is a low level of confidence in addressing these issues. There is a need for educational interventions for GPs to increase awareness of the potential adverse effects of using e-cigarettes and build confidence in providing management to children and adolescents regarding the use of e-cigarettes.

Keywords: adolescents; children; e-cigarette; general practitioners; vaping.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • General Practitioners*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • New South Wales
  • Pilot Projects
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Vaping* / psychology

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.