Social Aspects of Hookah Smoking Among US Youth

Pediatrics. 2018 Aug;142(2):e20180341. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-0341. Epub 2018 Jul 2.

Abstract

: media-1vid110.1542/5789657771001PEDS-VA_2018-0341Video Abstract BACKGROUND: We investigated 3 social dimensions of youth hookah smoking: frequency, places smoked, and descriptive social norms.

Methods: Data were from the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey of US sixth- to 12th-graders (n = 20 675). Hookah smoking frequency was classified as never, former, current occasional, and current frequent. Places where past 30-day hookah smoking occurred and students' perceptions of their classmates' hookah smoking prevalence were assessed. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were performed (P < .05).

Results: Overall, 10.5% reported smoking hookah ≥1 time in their lifetime. Of these, 65.8% were former, 26.3% were current occasional, and 7.9% were current frequent smokers. Overall, 59.3% of students overestimated hookah smoking prevalence in their grade. Current occasional smoking was predicted by female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.54) and peer hookah-smoking overestimation (aOR = 9.30). Current frequent smoking was most strongly predicted by living with a hookah smoker (aOR = 20.56), speaking a second language other than English (aOR = 2.17), and co-use of mentholated cigarettes (aOR = 19.94) or other flavored noncigarette tobacco products (aOR = 17.59). The top 3 places hookah was smoked were a friend's house (47.7%), the respondent's own house (31.8%), and another family member's house (20.8%).

Conclusions: The home environment was the most common place for youth hookah smoking. Home-tailored interventions that encourage voluntary smoke-free rules and warn about the dangers of social smoking could help denormalize hookah smoking.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Smoking Water Pipes*
  • Social Behavior*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Water Pipe Smoking / epidemiology*
  • Water Pipe Smoking / psychology*
  • Water Pipe Smoking / trends