E-Cigarette Use, Thirdhand Smoke Awareness, and Motivation to Participate in Physical Activity in Adolescents

This study aims to investigate the levels of e-cigarette use, thirdhand smoke awareness, and motivation to participate in physical activity among adolescents, to reveal the relationship between these variables and to contribute to reducing future health risks. This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 657 volunteer students from a vocational and technical Anatolian high school. Data were collected using the “Thirdhand Smoke Awareness Scale” and the “Physical Activity Participation Motivation Scale,” and analyzed using SPSS 26 software. Among the participants, 21.5% reported cigarette use, and 19.6% reported e-cigarette use. Non-smoking students demonstrated significantly higher physical activity motivation scores (54.67 ± 9.91) than smokers (52.08 ± 7.74) (p < .01). The mean thirdhand smoke awareness score was 32.44 ± 9.38, with awareness levels correlating with parental education levels (p < .05). A weak positive correlation was identi fied between physical activity motivation and thirdhand smoking awareness (r = 0.153, p < .01). Students who exercised regularly exhibited significantly higher physical activity motivation scores (57.09 ± 10.64) than those who did not (52.02 ± 8.08) (p < .01). This study reveals that cigarette and e-cigarette use is a widespread public health problem among young people and that these behaviors begin at an early age. This study emphasizes the importance of educational programs and regulatory measures to reduce cigarette and e-cigarette use, promote physical activity, and increase awareness of thirdhand smoke.

Cite this article as: Sarı, B., & Salkın, Y. (2025). E-cigarette use, thirdhand smoke awareness, and motivation to participate in physical activity in adolescents. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, Published online November 7, 2025. doi:10.5152/ADDICTA.2025.25398.