Waterpipe smoking among U.S. university students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Cigarette use is declining, but waterpipe tobacco smoking is an emerging trend.
• Prevalence and characteristics of waterpipe use among U.S. university students require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco use in a large, diverse sample of U.S. university students.
• Assess associations between waterpipe use and individual/institutional characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 105,012 students across 152 U.S. universities (National College Health Assessment, 2008-2009).
• Employed multivariable regression models to identify independent associations with past 30-day and ever waterpipe tobacco use.

Main Results:

• 30.5% of students reported ever using waterpipes; 8.4% were current users.
• Waterpipe use was most common among younger, White, male students, fraternity/sorority members, and those at nonreligious institutions in large western U.S. cities.
• 51.4% of current waterpipe users did not currently smoke cigarettes.

Conclusions:

• Waterpipe use is the second most common tobacco product among university students, after cigarettes.
• Waterpipe use prevalence spans diverse individual and institutional characteristics.
• Waterpipe use should be integrated into tobacco surveillance and intervention programs.