Introduction: Although cigarette use among Canadian youth has decreased significantly in recent years, alternative forms of tobacco use are becoming increasingly popular. Surveillance of youth tobacco use can help inform prevention programs by monitoring trends in risk behaviors. We examined the prevalence of bidi and hookah use and factors associated with their use among Canadian youth by using data from the 2010-2011 Youth Smoking Survey (YSS).
Methods: We analyzed YSS data from 28,416 students (2006-2007) and 31,396 students (2010-2011) in grades 9 through 12 to examine prevalence of bidi and hookah use. We conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses of 2010-2011 YSS data to examine factors associated with bidi and hookah use.
Results: From 2006 through 2010, prevalence of hookah use among Canadian youth increased by 6% (P = .02). Marijuana use emerged as a consistent predictor of bidi and hookah use. Males, youth of black, Latin, or other descent, and youth of Asian descent were more likely to use bidis (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; OR, 15.6; OR, 14.9) or hookah (OR, 1.3; OR, 2.4; OR, 1.5). Current cigarette smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to be current users of bidis (OR, 6.7) and hookahs (OR, 3.0), and occasional and frequent alcohol drinkers were also more likely than nondrinkers to be current hookah users (OR, 2.8; OR, 3.6).
Conclusion: Although bidi use has not changed significantly among Canadian youth, the increase in hookah use warrants attention. Understanding the factors associated with use of bidis and hookahs can inform the development of tobacco use prevention programs to address emerging at-risk youth populations.