E-cigarette Dependence and the Appetite–BMI Nexus
A Cross-Sectional Moderation Analysis Among University Students in Jordan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21646217 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nour Amin Elsahoryi (0000-0003-2029-4045, Petra University, corresponding author), Omar A Alhaj (0000-0003-0082-3843, Petra University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-11 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-06 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Substance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10826084.2026.2682307 |
| PMID | 42249769 |
| OpenAlex | W7163743164 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Background E-cigarette use among university students has surged across the Arab world, but its nutritional and metabolic effects are poorly understood. This study examined associations between e-cigarette dependence, dietary quality, appetite, and BMI among university students, and assessed whether e-cigarette use status moderated key nutritional relationships.Methods A cross-sectional study recruited 887 participants from six Jordanian universities, classified as exclusive current e-cigarette users or tobacco-naïve never-users. Dependence was assessed using the Penn State Electronic Cigarette Dependence Index (PSECDI), dietary quality using the Mini Eating Assessment Tool (Mini-EAT), and appetite using the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ). Associations were examined using chi-square tests and ordinary least squares moderation regression.Results E-cigarette users had substantially lower appetite (operationally defined as CNAQ scores ≤ 28, reflecting a reduced desire to eat and a higher risk for clinically meaningful weight loss), lower dietary quality and greater BMI compared with tobacco-naïve never-users. Within users, dependence severity was significantly associated with BMI category (χ2(6)=28.32, p ≤ 0.001) and appetite category (χ2(2)=7.24, p = 0.027). E-cigarette use status significantly moderated the dietary quality–appetite association (β = 0.20, p ≤ 0.001), but not the appetite–BMI association (β= −0.04, p = 0.483).Conclusions Using e-cigarettes is strongly associated with a significant nutritional and physical burden among Jordanian university students, and greater dependence is independently associated with appetite dysregulation and excess weight. Tobacco-sensitive nutritional screening should be routinely integrated into campus health services
Appetite · Body mass index · Cross-sectional study · Moderation · Obesity · Snacking · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Smoking Behavior and Cessation
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| Highly cited | No |
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