Nargis
Labib1,3,
Ghada Radwan1,3,
Nabiel Mikahil1,4,Maged
El- Setouhy1,2,
Mostafa
K Mohamed1,2,
and Ebenezer
Israel1,5
Egyptian Smoking Prevention
Research Institute (ESPRI)1, Ain Shams University School of
Medicine 2, Cairo University School of Medicine 3, cancer
institute Assuit university 4, and University of Maryland 5.
Abstract
Objective:
To investigate the association between the belief that
waterpipes are safe and the preference for waterpipe over cigarettes.
Methods:
Female medical Students (n=130) in a public University
and female undergraduate students from a private university (n=115)
who were smoking in 9 waterpipe cafes near the two universities were
interviewed. A logistic regression analysis was carried out with
waterpipe or cigarette smoking as the dependent variable and the
belief that waterpipe is less harmful than cigarettes as the
independent variable of interest.
Results:
Of the total Student smokers, 27% smoked cigarettes
only, 37.8% waterpipe only and 35.2% smoked both. Most (74.1%)
preferred waterpipe smoking because it is less harmful (p<0.01
OR-8.8,95% C.I 2.6-29.3). Other females encouraged them to start
smoking(56.6%). There were no significant differences between
waterpipe and cigarette smokers regarding age, age of initiation, quit
attempts, smoking patterns and knowledge about the hazards of smoking,
being fashionable or being with friends. Being curious was a
significant factor for initiation (OR 2.8, 95%C.I 1.3-6.2,p<.01)
About one in four(23.7%) attempted to quit with health cited as a
major reason.
Conclusion:
There is an urgent need to correct the misperception
that waterpipe smoking is safe and less harmful than cigarettes.
