Waterpipe Smoking among Middle and High School Jordanian Students: Patterns and Predictors

Abstract

Despite the increase in attention to waterpipe tobacco smoking, the patterns and predictors of this method of tobacco use among Jordanian youth are not well known. The current study was conducted to assess the patterns and the predictors of waterpipe tobacco smoking among school aged students in one of Jordan’s Central Governorates. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the patterns and predictors of waterpipe tobacco smoking among youth (grades 6, 8, 10 and 12). Using a multistage random sampling more than 1,000 students was selected. Data were collected using the Arabic Youth Tobacco Use Composite Measure (YTUCM). Waterpipe smoking was assessed for “past 12 months”, “past month” and “past week”. Students’ ages ranged from 11 to 18 years, (mean age ± 14.7; SD ± 1.9 years). The percentage of girls who smoked waterpipe was greater for all frequencies of use than it was for boys. Age, gender, and belief that smoking makes more friends were predictors of smoking among study participants. This is the first known study to examine waterpipe smoking among youth aged 11 and 12. Our findings illustrate the need for public health campaigns to reach and educate youth, their families, teachers and school systems regarding the growing recognized health risks of waterpipe smoking.

Waterpipe smoking among secondary school students in Hong Kong

“…Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the trajectory of tobacco use to understand how waterpipe use affects cigarette smoking progression among adolescents. Consistent with existing studies (Alzyoud et al 2013;Barnett et al 2009;Chan et al 2011;Jawad et al 2013Jawad et al , 2015aMinaker et al 2015;Palamar et al 2014;Smith et al 2011;Weglicki et al 2008), our results indicated that current waterpipe smoking was associated with male sex, older age, current cigarette smoking, other tobacco product use, and alcohol consumption. As high-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use) tend to cluster in adolescents (Baskin-Sommers and Sommers 2006;Chen et al 2001;Faeh et al 2006), smoking cessation treatment and prevention programs for young people should address alcohol consumption and the use of multiple tobacco products rather than focusing on cigarette smoking only.…”

Predictors of waterpipe smoking progression among youth in Irbid, Jordan: A longitudinal study (2008–2011)

“…One of these myths is that smoke passes through water (erroneously believed as filtered) and thus waterpipe smoking is less harmful and less addictive than cigarette smoking (Maziak et al, 2014). For example, a recent study in Jordan found that waterpipe smoking is less prevalent among adolescents who perceive waterpipe smoking to be as harmful as cigarette (Alzyoud et al, 2013). Consistent with these findings, our study shows that perceiving waterpipe as harmful as cigarettes, was associated with a lower risk of waterpipe smoking progression among boys.…”

Waterpipe Use and Cognitive Susceptibility to Cigarette Smoking Among Never-Cigarette Smoking Jordanian Youth: Analysis of the 2009 Global Youth Tobacco Survey

“…30 A recent study conducted among Jordanian youth indicated a high prevalence of dual tobacco smoking particularly among girls. 13 This may indicate that once WP smoking is initiated, youth become more likely to use other forms of tobacco, in this case cigarettes, as a substitute nicotine source to avoid withdrawal symptoms.…”

“…WP smoking among Arab youth has been shown to typically precede cigarette use. governorate in Jordan, Alzyoud, Weglicki, Kheirallah, Haddad, and Alhawamde 13 reported that WP use ranged from 30% for the past week, 34% for the past month, and 36% for the past year. An interesting finding was that while girls were equally likely as boys to currently use only cigarettes or WP, they were twice as likely to be dual (cigarette plus WP) smokers (34% vs. 17%, respectively), suggesting that WP use may increase susceptibility to cigarette smoking especially among girls.…”