Sheesha Smoking among a sample of future teachers in Kuwait

ABSTRACT

To assess the prevalence of sheesha smoking and the personal, social and environmental factors associated with it. Subjects and A convenience sample of 761 students [261 male, 500 female] in the teacher training program of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training in Kuwait City answered a 70-question survey regarding sheesha use. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 10. 24.6% of males and 5.5% of the females smoked sheesha. 49.2% of the male sheesha smokers smoked at least one bowl a day, as did 26.9% of the female sheesha smokers. The majority of sheesha smokers first started smoking sheesha at age 18 or older. Almost half were encouraged to smoke sheesha the first time by their friends. The majority of sheesha non-smokers had sheesha non-smokers as friends. Among the sheesha smokers, 59.2% of females and 61.3% of males said all or most of their friends smoked sheesha. Sheesha smokers were more likely than sheesha non-smokers to live in a home where there are other sheesha smokers. Half of the males and one-third of the females who smoked sheesha wanted to quit. The majority of sheesha smokers also smoked cigarettes. Teachers, including female teachers, were frequently seen smoking in their schools. As expected, sheesha smokers had more positive attitudes towards sheesha smoking and were less likely to believe in its harmful effects. This is the first known study of sheesha use among college students in Kuwait. Results suggest efforts to reduce sheesha smoking in this young population should 1] help young people address pressures from peers, 2] reduce sheesha smoking at home and school environment, 3] counteract personal beliefs and attitudes that contribute to sheesha smoking, and 4] reinforce beliefs about the health risks of sheesha smoking