Parental Knowledge and Attitude Regarding E-Cigarette Use in Saudi Arabia and the Effect of Parental Smoking: A Cross-Sectional Study

Comparing oral health-related quality of life and satisfaction: root canal therapy vs. extraction for first permanent molars in children - a case-control study

BACKGROUND

This study addresses a literature gap by examining Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and children-parental satisfaction concerning the management of compromised first permanent molars (FPMs) through root canal therapy (RCT) versus extraction.

METHODS

Children who extracted or received RCT and their parents were interviewed using a validated questionnaire that includes sociodemographic data, OHIP5-Ar questionnaire and satisfaction question.

RESULTS

There were 305 patients with RCT (197 (37.1%)) or extraction (108 (87.8%)). RCT increased the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of the child's OHRQoL (3.76; P < 0.001) and parent-satisfaction at assessment-time (AOR = 1.82; P = 0.02). Additionally, increase in the duration between treatment and assessment-time elevated the AOR of patient's OHRQoL (AOR = 1.69; P = 0.001). Significantly fewer children reported being uncomfortable with the appearance of their teeth following RCT compared to those who underwent extraction (P < 0.001). Although not statistically significant, patients tended to express greater satisfaction with extraction compared to RCT at the assessment-time (AOR: 0.64; P = 0.081).

CONCLUSION

While the choice between performing RCT or extraction of compromised FPM in children depends on various factors, both can lead to substantial success in improving the child's OHRQoL and satisfaction. Nevertheless, RCT resulted in fewer concerns about dental appearance.

Electronic cigarettes use and parental factors among children and adolescents, Jeddah. A cross-sectional study

E-cigarettes are gaining popularity worldwide, necessitating their control. This study investigated the impact of parental factors on E-cigarette use among children-adolescents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional survey involving 1,044 parents of children aged 10- to 21 was conducted in malls. A structured questionnaire assessed parental socio-economic status, smoking/vaping habits, and attitudes toward E-cigarette use.Data were analysed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and binary logistic regression (significance set at 0.05). Results showed 176 (16.9%) parents reported their children using E-cigarettes. Older adolescents (18-21 age group) were significantly more likely to use E-cigarettes compared to younger ones (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:6.456, 95% CI:3.664-11.374). Parents with a permissive attitude were more likely to have children who vape. (AOR:1.643, 95% CI:1.149-2.348). While open parent-child communication about traditional smoking reduced E-cigarettes use (AOR:0.772, 95% CI:0.639-0.934). Parental attitudes and open communication are crucial for mitigating youth E-cigarette use.

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

(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.

Public awareness, prevalence, and regulations for the sale of electronic cigarettes in Arab countries: A narrative review

The majority of the Arab countries have high records of daily tobacco smoking. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) use has exponentially increased in the past decade in Arab countries. Consumers' willingness to quit smoking traditional cigarettes and their perception of e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes have increased the demand for these devices. This narrative review aimed to gather and discuss the available literature on the awareness, prevalence, and sales regulations of e-cigarettes in Arab countries. A search was conducted on electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar with no time limits until the end of 2021. Some of the recent studies (2019-2021) considered in this review have reported that more than 25% of participants were e-cigarettes users. The prevalence of e-cigarettes has increased drastically with raised awareness of e-cigarettes among the population in these Arab countries. Most of the users of e-cigarettes are young males. In addition, an increase in e-cigarettes use has been reported in females. The policies which regulate trade and sale of e-cigarettes and related products were issued in only three Arab countries. In contrast, regulations for the trade and sale of traditional cigarette products are also applied in some countries to e-cigarette products, banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and/or amend smoke-free laws to restrict public use of e-cigarettes. There is a need for a concerted effort to assess the prevalence and significant rise of e-cigarettes consumption in Arab societies to help implement and improve harm reduction policies.

Prevalence, knowledge and attitude toward electronic cigarette use among male health colleges students in Saudi Arabia-A cross-sectional study

Background

Health care professionals have an important role in increasing awareness about smoking harms and serving as role models. This study aims to assess knowledge, attitude and perception toward electronic cigarettes (ECs) as well as prevalence of ECs use among male health colleges students.

Method

This is a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among students in the male campus of five different health colleges over a 4-month period from February 2020 to May 2020. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the knowledge, perception and attitude, and inferential testing was used to evaluate the association of different participant's variables and knowledge toward ECs usage using SPSS.

Results

A total of 333 students were included in the analysis. Most of students (n = 205; 61.6%) had never used ECs, while 22.8 and 15.6% used them for recreational and smoking cessation purposes, respectively. Focusing on ECs users from each college individually, medical students had the highest prevalence followed by dental, pharmacy and nursing students (47.4, 40.7, 34.5, and 32%, respectively). Many students had misconceptions and a low level of knowledge about ECs, such as recognizing them as smoking-cessation tools and not knowing whether toxic and carcinogenic components levels in ECs are similar to conventional cigarettes, respectively. Medical students had significantly higher knowledge compared to dental students [3 (2) vs. 2 (1); p = 0.033]. Moreover, smokers were less knowledgeable than non-smokers [2.5 (1) vs. 2.1 (1), p = 0.027]. At least 62.8% of students perceived using ECs as a fashionable alternative smoking method and 59.2% believed that they may become a gateway for smoking addiction. Only 120 (36.0%) health colleges students were confidently able to advise smokers regarding ECs.

Conclusion

Our study highlights an increased trend of ECs use accompanied with insufficient knowledge and several misconceptions about ECs among health colleges students. This was associated with a negative influence on their attitude toward ECs use, which would potentially lead to negative consequences on public health.

Effect of Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Children's Anxiety and Behavior in Dental Clinics, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been linked to behavioral problems, but no study has assessed its relationship with dental anxiety. Therefore, this study’s goal is to assess the relation between ETS and both behavioral problems and dental anxiety among children. Methods: The study sample was collected from two centres in Jeddah from October 2019 to January 2020. Inclusion criteria included healthy 5–16-year-old children having their first dental visit with no emergency complaint. The questionnaire including general information, ETS exposure, the child’s anxiety using the Abeer Children Dental Anxiety Scale (ACDAS) and dental behavior using the Frankl Behavioral Rating Scale. Results: Of 500 children, 337 (67.4% response rate) responded to the questionnaire, among whom 201 (59.6%) had been exposed to passive smoking compared to 136 (40.4%) who had not. Exposed children had a statistically significantly greater tendency to develop anxiety (p = 0.002) and demonstrate uncooperative behavior (p = 0.006). Generalized linear mode and binary regression analyses suggested that ETS has a statistically significant effect on children’s dental anxiety and behavior (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children exposed to ETS demonstrated statistically significantly higher anxiety levels and uncooperative behavior in the dental clinic compared to those who were not exposed.

Effects of E-Cigarette Exposure on Prenatal Life and Childhood Respiratory Health: A Review of Current Evidence

In the last decade, widespread use of E-cigarettes (EC) has occurred all over the world. Whereas, a large amount of evidence on harm to children from conventional cigarette exposure is available, data on health effects in this population throughout different vulnerability windows are still a matter of concern. Exposure to EC during pregnancy may compromise placental function, resulting in fetal structural abnormalities. Specifically, this may cause physio-pathologic changes in the developing lung, which in turn may impair respiratory health later in life. Furthermore, there is evidence that using EC can cause both short- and long-term respiratory problems in the pediatric population and there is great concern for future young people with nicotine addiction. The low parental perception of the risks connected to EC exposure for children increases their susceptibility to harmful effects from passive vaping. This minireview aims to summarize the current evidence focusing on: (i) prenatal effects of EC passive exposure; (ii) post-natal respiratory effects of EC exposure in youth; (iii) parental attitudes toward EC use and perception of children's health risks connected to EC exposure; and (iv) addressing gaps in our current evidence.