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Home / The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 17, Number 1

Waterpipe smoking: prevalence and attitudes among medical students in London [Short communication]

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Although waterpipe smoking is growing in popularity worldwide, its epidemiology remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and attitudes of waterpipe smoking among 489 medical students (54.6% female; mean age 20.4 ± 2.0 years) in the United Kingdom by conducting a cross-sectional survey. Waterpipe smoking was more common than cigarette smoking (current 11.0% vs. 6.3%, ever 51.7% vs. 16.8%). Mean age at waterpipe smoking initiation was 16.1 ± 2.6 years. Sex, ethnicity and sociodemographic factors did not predict current/ever waterpipe smoking. Tobacco control efforts need to consider waterpipe smoking in the light of this high prevalence.

Keywords: epidemiology; hookah; public health; shisha

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK 2: Freelance Researcher, Poole, UK 3: General Practice Vocational Training Scheme, Ealing Hospital, London, UK 4: School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK

Publication date: 01 January 2013

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

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