E-cigarettes in Nigeria: A scoping review of evidence.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: E-cigarettes will continue to be a public health issue in Nigeria. To curb the growing menace of the e-cigarette use in Nigeria through evidence-based approach, it is crucial to first map the empirical research landscape of e-cigarettes in Nigeria. No known study has mapped the existing empirical evidence and gaps concerning e-cigarettes in Nigeria; hence, this scoping review was conducted.

METHODS: This scoping review adopted the research design by Arksey and O'Malley. Four databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL Complete, and APA PsycINFO) were searched to retrieve literature on e-cigarettes in Nigeria. With the aid of Rayyan web application, all retrieved literature were deduplicated and screened based on the review's eligibility criteria. Only those peer-reviewed journal papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Relevant data from the included papers were charted, collated, and summarized.

RESULTS: A total of six papers were included in this review. The reviewed papers reported a lifetime prevalence of e-cigarette use (or vaping) ranging from 5.8% to 19.8%, with a current e-cigarette use prevalence of 11.8%, among different population groups in Nigeria. The major determinants of e-cigarette use, as reported in these articles, include being a youth, having a health condition, severe anxiety, tobacco use, peer influence, and current alcohol use. Dry mouth and oral lesions (gingival inflammation and oral ulcers) were also identified to be the medical conditions associated with e-cigarette use in Nigeria. Lastly, one of the included papers identified a lack of clear regulation on e-cigarettes in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for more scientific investigations on the sociodemographic, economic, health, and regulatory landscape of e-cigarettes in Nigeria, as robust empirical evidence is needed for the effective planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based policies and interventions on e-cigarettes control and regulation in Nigeria.