Relationship of Vaping and Anxiety among High School Students

Background: Young people use vaping cigarettes to improve their social standing and become more popular with friends. Thus, anxiety has also been associated with vape cigarette use among young individuals. An increase in impulsivity has also been linked to increased smoking habits. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to bring the findings to the attention of policymakers and managers in our healthcare systems to recognize the severity of the situation thoroughly and lay the groundwork for the appropriate interventions to address the condition of our high school students. Methods: The study utilized a non-experimental quantitative research design, specifically the correlational technique, through a validated questionnaire, mean, and Pearson r. Results: Analysis of the results showed that the respondent's results for the indicator "Feel anxious after vaping" (0.014) were found to be significant with a p-value of less than 0.05, indicating that respondents' exhibiting emotional and social anxiety was significantly related to their feeling anxious after vaping. Conclusion: This study found that vaping does not have a beneficial effect on the emotional, mental, and social aspects of the respondents, which would have resulted in diminished anxiety levels and improved moods. There was evidence of a statistically significant effect on the respondents' anxiety. Hence, further research is needed to determine the impact of vaping on anxiety levels.