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Effect of Vape Health Education on Vaping Risk Knowledge among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Vaping has emerged as an important public health concern among university students in Nigeria as electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices become increasingly accessible through social networks, online platforms, commercial outlets, and informal markets. Some students may perceive vaping as less harmful than conventional cigarette smoking or may experiment with vaping because of curiosity, peer influence, flavour preferences, social trends, stress, or exposure to online marketing. However, vaping products may expose users to nicotine and other substances and may be associated with dependence and respiratory, cardiovascular, and other potential health risks. Limited awareness of the composition of vaping products, nicotine dependence, potential health effects, and misconceptions surrounding vaping may contribute to experimentation and continued use. Vape health education provides an opportunity to improve students' understanding of vaping risks and support informed health decisions. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of vape health education on vaping risk knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of susceptibility to vaping-related health problems, perceived severity, perceived benefits of avoiding vaping, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their knowledge and health-related decisions. The Theory of Planned Behavior emphasizes attitudes toward vaping, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions as determinants of vaping-related behaviour. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, peer influence, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and environmental factors in shaping students' understanding and responses to vaping. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how vape health education may influence vaping risk knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Vape health education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, information on vaping products and devices, nicotine content, dependence potential, respiratory and cardiovascular risks, exposure to aerosol constituents, misconceptions about vaping safety, differences between vaping and conventional smoking, second-hand exposure, signs of nicotine dependence, marketing influences, risk reduction misconceptions, and available cessation or support services. Vaping risk knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as students' ability to identify nicotine dependence risks, recognize potential respiratory and cardiovascular health effects, understand that vaping aerosols may contain potentially harmful substances, identify misconceptions about vaping being completely harmless, recognize the potential risks of frequent use, understand risks associated with nicotine exposure, identify warning signs of dependence, and recognize appropriate sources of reliable vaping-health information. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized vaping-risk knowledge assessment tools, scenario-based questions, and relevant university health programme records where available. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' characteristics, vaping exposure, sources of vaping information, awareness levels, and vaping risk knowledge. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of vape health education on vaping risk knowledge. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, vaping risk knowledge scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that vape health education has a significant positive effect on vaping risk knowledge among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and evidence-based vape health education are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of vaping-related health risks than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve students' understanding of nicotine dependence, potential respiratory and cardiovascular effects, aerosol exposure, and the limitations of claims that vaping is harmless. It may also help students distinguish evidence-based information from promotional content, peer claims, and misleading online information. Practical education may encourage students to critically evaluate vaping advertisements, recognize signs of nicotine dependence, and seek appropriate healthcare or cessation support when necessary. However, peer influence, social-media promotion, flavour preferences, perceived social acceptance, misinformation, curiosity, easy access to vaping products, and beliefs that vaping is safer than smoking may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, evidence-based, non-stigmatizing, and sustained vape health education to contribute significantly to improved vaping risk knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on vaping, electronic cigarettes, nicotine exposure, tobacco control, substance-use prevention, university student health, health education, digital health communication, respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, universities, university health centres, healthcare professionals, tobacco-control organizations, public health practitioners, student organizations, youth-health programmes, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving awareness of vaping-related health risks. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating vaping-risk education into university health programmes, strengthening tobacco and nicotine health education, improving students' ability to identify vaping misinformation, increasing awareness of nicotine dependence and potential health risks, promoting appropriate healthcare-seeking and cessation support, and developing effective health communication strategies for preventing vaping-related harm among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Vape health education, vaping risk knowledge, vaping, electronic cigarettes, nicotine, university students, tobacco control, substance-use prevention, respiratory health, health education, Nigeria, public health.