Vaping and mental health: A cross-sectional study among university students in Bangladesh.

One in six university students in Bangladesh were currently vaping.

• 15.4% (n=248) of the 1615 study participants were currently vaping
• Exclusive current smokers were 6.2%, exclusive vape users were 6.5%, and dual users were 8.9%
• Males and females were distributed equally among the 1615 participants
• 54% of participants were from two private universities
• Participants were undergraduate students aged 18-25 years from seven universities in Bangladesh

Current vaping was strongly associated with alcohol drinking and recreational drug use after adjusting for potential confounders.

• Current vaping was associated with drinking alcohol (AOR 11.43, 95% CI 7.41-17.63)
• Current vaping was associated with use of recreational drugs (AOR 4.29, 95% CI 2.36-7.79)
• These associations were determined using multivariate logistic regression with adjusted odds ratios

Dual use (vaping and smoking combined) was associated with higher depression compared to non-dual users.

• Dual use was associated with higher depression (AOR 1.93; 95% CI 1.04-3.57)
• The prevalence of depression was 63.8% among dual users compared to 60.8% among current vape users
• Association was identified after adjusting for potential confounders using multivariate logistic regression

Dual users without a preexisting mental health condition were associated with severe anxiety.

• Absence of a preexisting mental health condition among dual users was associated with severe anxiety (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.25-3.20)
• Anxiety prevalence was similar between dual users (56.9%) and current vape users (57.6%)
• Anxiety was measured using the GAD-7 scale

Psychological distress and depression prevalence were higher among dual users compared to exclusive vape users.

• Prevalence of psychological distress was 80.5% among dual users vs. 76.6% among current vape users
• Prevalence of depression was 63.8% among dual users vs. 60.8% among current vape users
• Psychological distress was measured using the K10 scale and depression using the CES-D10 scale
• Anxiety prevalence was nearly identical between groups: 56.9% (dual users) vs. 57.6% (vape users)

The study design was cross-sectional using a web-based questionnaire administered across seven universities in Bangladesh.

• Data were collected from undergraduate students aged 18-25 years
• Psychological distress was measured by the K10 scale, depression by the CES-D10 scale, and anxiety by the GAD-7 scale
• Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations
• Adjusted Odds Ratios (AORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) were reported