WHO ARE THE HOOKAH SMOKERS AMONG THE ISRAELI YOUNG ADULTS POPULATION? ASSOCIATED SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH RELATED FACTORS

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WHO ARE THE HOOKAH SMOKERS AMONG THE ISRAELI YOUNG ADULTS POPULATION? ASSOCIATED SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH RELATED FACTORS

Autori:

Noit KAROLINSKY

Cod: ISSN: 2066-6861 (print), ISSN: 2067-5941 (electronic)
Dimensiuni: pp. 78-97

How to cite this article:

Karolinsky, N. (2019). Who are the Hookah Smokers among the Israeli Young Adults Population? Associated Socio-Demographic and Health Related Factors. Social Research Reports, 11(1), 78-97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33788/srr11.1.6

Abstract:

Contrary to cigarette smoking trends, hookah smoking is on the rise, and is now widely acceptable among various origins and cultures, with estimates ranging around 100 million hookah smokers worldwide, most of them adolescents. However, this phenomenon is not extensively researched, since until recent years it was perceived as marginal. The current study is based on a health-related cross-sectional survey conducted in Israel among young adults aged 21-44. A logistic regression model was used to identify socio-demographic and health-related factors that predicted hookah smoking. The current study included 1,976 interviewees, of which 884 (44.7%) Jews and 1,155 (55.3%) Arabs. The rate of hookah smoking in the sample was 9.5%, 3.5% among Jews and 14.4% among Arabs. The likelihood of being a hookah smoker (95% CI) was higher among Arabs (OR=5.09, p<.001), men (OR=3.46, p<.001), non-religious respondents (OR=1.68, p=.004), respondents with low education level (<12 years) (OR=1.81, p=.003), non-parents (OR=1.92, p<.001), respondents with poor mental health status (OR=1.56, p=.003) and those who did not comply with strict consumption of fruit and vegetables (OR=1.43, p=.012). This study has identified the profile of the individual with the highest likelihood of being a hookah smoker. These findings, along with the prevalence of hookah smoking among the young adult population in Israel, call for a need to promote a systematic approach. Based on such profiling it is possible to build designated intervention programs, which will provide health education guidance as well as rehabilitation services. Such programs may contribute to the prevention and reduction of smoking in the young adult population and to improving their health.