@article{article_1669189, title={Dental Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Electronic Cigarettes: A Cross-Sectional Study from Türkiye}, journal={Balıkesir Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi}, volume={14}, pages={689–695}, year={2025}, DOI={10.53424/balikesirsbd.1669189}, author={Karaaslan, Fatih and Gürbüz, Duru}, keywords={dental students, e-cigarettes, level of knowledge, awareness, dental school, smoking}, abstract={Objective Dental students are expected to play a pivotal role in raising public awareness about tobacco-related products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). This study aimed to assess the habits, knowledge, and attitudes of dental students toward e-cigarettes, and to examine differences between clinical and preclinical students as well as across genders. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, paper-based survey consisting of 12 items covering demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and e-cigarette use was administered to undergraduate dental students at Uşak University, Turkey. Participants were categorized as preclinical (1st–3rd year) or clinical (4th–5th year) students. Results:A total of 502 students participated (mean age: 22.1±1.8 years; 184 males, 318 females). Overall, 27.8% reported smoking cigarettes and 8.7% reported e-cigarette use. Male students had significantly higher cigarette smoking rates compared with females (43.0% vs. 19.0%, p <0.001), whereas e-cigarette use did not differ significantly by gender (12.3% vs. 6.2%, p=0.052). E-cigarette use was significantly more common among clinical students compared with preclinical students (12.3% vs. 5.2%, p=0.021). Notably, 58.8% of students reported not feeling knowledgeable about e-cigarettes, 79.2% felt unprepared to counsel patients, and 86.2% stated they had never received formal education on this subject. Conclusion: Dental students in Turkey exhibit relatively high rates of cigarette and e-cigarette use but lack adequate knowledge and confidence to counsel patients. These findings underscore the urgent need to integrate structured, evidence-based modules on tobacco and e-cigarettes into dental curricula to strengthen the role of future dentists in public health.}, number={3}, publisher={Balıkesir University}, organization={UŞAK ÜNİVERSİTESİ GİRİŞİMSEL OLMAYAN KLİNİK ARAŞTIRMALAR ETİK KURULU}