Tobacco Use Among University Students: Perceived Health Risks and Behavioral Change After COVID‐19

BACKGROUND: One of the most serious threats to public health is the tobacco epidemic. That's because smoking cigarettes could significantly raise the morbidity and mortality rates of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 infection. AIM: This study aimed to assess the perceived health risks, behavioral change, and predictive factors of university students who were tobacco users during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted using a convenience sample of 370 university students in Amman. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed between August 2022 and October 2022. RESULTS: The most commonly used types of tobacco among university students were regular cigarettes (65.4%), water-pipes (47.8%), and e-cigarettes (41.1%). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 28.1% of participants reported that they attempted quitting, and 6.5% actually stopped using tobacco. Also, 84% of the students believed that smoking negatively impacts their health, and 34% agreed that smoking increases the risk of contracting COVID-19 and its severity. Being male or medical student significantly predicted higher mean score of behavioral change or perceived health risks (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Public health professionals and policymakers should enhance students' awareness about the health consequences of all types of smoking and increase access to smoking cessation programs.