Frequency of the use of hookah among adults and its distribution according to sociodemographic characteristics, urban or rural area and federative units: National Health Survey, 2013

Use of electronic cigarettes and hookah in Brazil: a new and emerging landscape. The Covitel study, 2022

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of current commercial cigarette smoking, as well as those of e-cigarette and hookah experimentation and current use among adults (≥ 18 years of age) in Brazil.

METHODS

This study was based on a countrywide cross-sectional telephone-based survey conducted in 2022. The sample was designed to be representative of the five macroregions in Brazil and included 1,800 individuals from each of the regions. Telephone numbers, using a random digit dialing procedure, were proportionally selected for each direct distance dialing code in each region and then electronically validated (i.e., 900 cell and 900 landline phone numbers per region). Information on current commercial cigarette smoking (regardless of frequency/amount), as well as lifetime history of or current e-cigarette and hookah use (regardless of amount), were collected.

RESULTS

The prevalence of lifetime history of e-cigarette and hookah use was identical (7.3%; 95% CI: 6.0-8.9), whereas the prevalence of current commercial cigarette smoking was 12.2% (95% CI: 10.4-14.1). Young adults (18-24 years) had the highest prevalence of e-cigarette experimentation (19.7%; 95% CI: 15.1-17.0) and hookah experimentation (17%; 95% CI: 12.2-23.2). E-cigarette and hookah use was more common in the Central-West region and among those with a high level of education, whereas current commercial cigarette smoking was more common among those with a lower level of education. Individuals who used the three forms of nicotine delivery corresponded to 1.5% of the sample (nearly 2 million individuals based on the estimated size of the Brazilian adult population).

CONCLUSIONS

Surveillance is essential for the monitoring and prevention of these new forms of nicotine consumption.

Hookah Smoking among Brazilian University Students: An Exploratory Survey on the Prevalence and Perceptions of Addiction and its Harmfulness

Background

This study aimed to determine the prevalence, beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of hookah use in a population of undergraduate students at a large public university in Brazil.

Methods

The sample consisted of 1348 undergraduate students aged over 18-year-old. They completed structured questionnaires on demographic information and close-ended questions on the past and current experiences of smoking hookah. The data underwent descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression.

Findings

Finally, 1298 valid survey forms were obtained from printed and digital questionnaires. More than half (53.9%) of participants reported having tried hookah at least once, however, only 10.8% reported they had experienced it within the last 30 days. The majority of the studied population presented acceptable beliefs about the harmfulness and addictive capacity of hookah smoking. However, when comparing the perceptions of those who had smoked and those who had never smoked hookah, and also, the perceptions of users and non-users, significant differences were observed. Students who were users or had already tried hookah showed a tendency to underestimate the deleterious effects of this type of smoking.

Conclusion

It could be concluded that hookah smoking was common among Brazilian university students. In addition, preoccupying misperceptions of hookah's harmfulness and addictive capacity were found. The results showed that the epidemic of hookah smoking, especially among young people, has spread far beyond the Arab world and the Persians. Accordingly, preventive measures must be taken if this population is to be protected from addiction and other serious health problems.

Prevalence of water pipe smoking and associated risk factors among female adolescents

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of water pipe smoking is increasing among young people, but there are limited data on its use among adolescents in Iran. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of WP smoking and associated risk factors among female adolescents in Western Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in schools. It included 1302 middle school (48.1%) and high school (51.9%) female students (grades 7-12) recruited through stage random sampling and conducted in 2019 in the western city of Kermanshah, Iran. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses and descriptive statistics were executed using SPSS version 22.

RESULTS

The mean (standard deviation) ages of the students and the ages when the participants started WP smoking were 15.22 ± 1.85 and 13.64 (1.64), respectively. Nearly 32.2% had a single experience of WP smoking during their lifetime and 20.4% were current consumers of WP. Most of the subjects smoked WPs at their friends' home (45.8%) and with their friends (47.4%). The significantly important factors that affect WP smoking in these age groups are the father's and mother's occupation, family size, living with others, father's education, having a friend who smokes WPs, friends' encouragement to smoke WP, and being in a family that smoke WPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the increasing popularity of WP among adolescent females and its increasing prevalence, the results showed that Water pipe smoking with friends played a key role in WP smoking among female adolescents. There is a need to design interventional studies to increase people's skills and to design and implement programs to prevent water pipe.

Electronic cigarettes and narghile users in Brazil: Do they differ from cigarettes smokers?

BACKGROUND

Cigarette smoking prevalence is declining, however, other tobacco products have emerged recently, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and narghile (hookah/shisha/waterpipe). Narghile sales are not prohibited in Brazil, but e-cigarettes are. Accurate estimates of such products are key for proper monitoring and control.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of e-cigarettes and narghile use and to investigate whether sociodemographic characteristics of individuals who are using these products differ from those who are using manufactured cigarettes.

METHODS

Using a nationally representative sample survey of Brazilians aged 12-65 years in 2015, we estimated the prevalence rates of each tobacco products within the last 12-months, stratified by macro-region, municipality size, sex-at-birth, sexual orientation, color/race, age-group, and monthly income. Multivariable logistic models were fitted to understand determinants of each tobacco product use, considering the complex sample design.

RESULTS

E-cigarette, narghile, and cigarette prevalence rates were estimated at 0.43%, 1.65% and 15.35%, respectively, corresponding to around 0.6million e-cigarette users, 2.5 million narghile users and 23.5 million cigarette users. Non-heterosexual individuals were a most-at-risk group for both e-cigarette/narghile and cigarette use. Despite similarities, e-cigarette/narghile users were younger and had higher socioeconomic status than cigarette users. Additional analyses showed that recent cigarette use seems to be more associated with e-cigarette/narghile use among youth than among adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may provide valuable information about e-cigarette/narghile use in Brazil. Prevention strategies targeted to youth to both narghile and e-cigarettes use should be implemented together, which might be one strategy to prevent the emergency of a new generation of smokers in Brazil.

Desafios para as políticas públicas voltadas à adolescência e juventude a partir da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE)

Resumo O objetivo do artigo é analisar os principais problemas e desafios para a implementação de políticas públicas voltadas para a adolescência brasileira a partir de revisão narrativa dos resultados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE). Ensaio teórico sobre políticas públicas produzido a partir de revisão narrativa das três edições da PeNSE. Os artigos identificados foram categorizados em temas prioritários para intervenção de políticas públicas. Tabagismo: estável quanto ao cigarro e aumento de 18% de outros produtos do tabaco. Álcool: consumo regular caiu de 27,3% para 23,2%. Drogas: aumento da experimentação, a supervisão familiar mostrou-se protetora para uso de tabaco, álcool e drogas. Aumento de todos os indicadores de violência. Predomínio de hábitos não saudáveis: apenas 20% dos escolares praticam 1 hora de atividade física ou mais diariamente. Sexualidade: redução do uso preservativos na primeira relação. Serviços de saúde: metade dos escolares usaram nos últimos 12 meses. A exposição de fatores de risco como álcool, sexo inseguro e práticas e condições violentas é elevada na adolescência. Torna-se importante a adoção de políticas públicas e ações intersetoriais, plurais e abertas à singularidade, voltadas para a proteção da saúde de adolescentes e jovens.

The prevalence and trends of waterpipe tobacco smoking: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Waterpipe tobacco smoking is harmful to health however its prevalence estimates remain uncertain. We aimed to systematically review the medical literature on waterpipe tobacco prevalence and trends.

METHODS

We searched Medline, Embase and ISI Web of Science for 'waterpipe' and its synonyms, without using language or date restrictions. We included any measure of waterpipe tobacco smoking prevalence in jurisdictionally representative populations. We stratified findings by prevalence measure (past 30 day, ever, regular or occasional, daily, other or unspecified) and age (adults or youth).

RESULTS

We included 129 studies reporting 355 estimates for 68 countries. In general, prevalence estimates among adults were highest in the Eastern Mediterranean, and among youth were about equal between Eastern Mediterranean and European regions. Past 30 day use was highest among Lebanese youth (37.2% in 2008), ever use was highest among Lebanese youth in 2002 and Lebanese university students in 2005 (both 65.3%), regular or occasional use was highest in among Iranian university students (16.3% in 2005), and daily use was highest among Egyptian youth (10.4% in 2005). Trend data were limited but most studies reported increased use over time, ranging from 0.3-1.0% per year among youth in the US to 2.9% per year among youth in Jordan (both for past 30 day use). Results were similar for ever use trends. Turkey (2.3% in 2008 to 0.8% in 2010) and Iraq (6.3% in 2008 and 4.8% in 2012) both witnessed decreased waterpipe use.

CONCLUSION

Waterpipe tobacco smoking is most prevalent in Eastern Mediterranean and European countries, and appears higher among youth than adults. Continued surveillance will be important to assess and inform policy measures to control waterpipe tobacco use.

Fatores associados ao uso de narguilé e outros produtos do tabaco entre escolares, Brasil, 2015

RESUMO: Objetivo: Identificar a frequência e os fatores associados ao uso de narguilé e outros produtos do tabaco entre os escolares brasileiros. Métodos: Estudo transversal com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar. A amostra foi composta por alunos do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Foi realizada análise descritiva do uso de produtos do tabaco em 2012 e 2015. Para explorar a relação de fatores como características sociodemográficas, familiares, saúde mental e hábitos de vida com o uso de outros produtos do tabaco, foram calculados odds ratio ajustados. Resultados: O uso de outros produtos do tabaco aumentou de 4,8% (IC95% 4,6 - 5,0), em 2012, para 6,1% (IC95% 5,7 - 6,4), em 2015, com maior proporção em meninos. O narguilé foi o produto mais usado em 2015 (71,6%; IC95% 68,8 - 74,2), sendo mais frequente em meninas. Foram positivamente associados ao uso de outros produtos do tabaco: escola privada, morar com pai/mãe, trabalhar, não ter amigos, sofrer violência familiar, faltar às aulas, fazer uso de cigarros e álcool, ter experimentado drogas, já ter tido relação sexual, ter pais ou responsáveis fumantes e presenciar pessoas fumando. Os fatores de proteção foram: sexo feminino, incremento da idade, cor da pele parda ou indígena, fazer refeições com responsável, ter supervisão familiar e praticar atividade física. Conclusão: Conclui-se que o uso de outros produtos do tabaco foi elevado, com aumento nos últimos anos, destacando-se o narguilé. Torna-se importante a conscientização dos riscos e a vigilância do uso desses produtos, bem como o avanço das políticas públicas de controle do tabagismo no país.