Water-pipe smoking among North American youths.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this analysis were to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of water-pipe users in a North American context and to describe concurrent psychoactive substance use.


METHODS
Data on sociodemographic characteristics, water-pipe smoking, and use of other psychoactive substances were collected in 2007 through mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 871 young adults, 18 to 24 years of age, who were participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study, a longitudinal investigation of the natural history of nicotine dependence among adolescents in Montreal, Canada. Independent sociodemographic correlates of water-pipe use were identified in multivariate logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
Previous-year water-pipe use was reported by 23% of participants. Younger age, male gender, speaking English, not living with parents, and higher household income independently increased the odds of water-pipe use. Water-pipe use was markedly higher among participants who had smoked cigarettes, had used other tobacco products, had drunk alcohol, had engaged in binge drinking, had smoked marijuana, or had used other illicit drugs in the previous year.


CONCLUSIONS
Water-pipe users may represent an advantaged group of young people with the leisure time, resources, and opportunity to use water-pipes. Evidence-based public health and policy interventions are required to equip the public to make informed decisions about water-pipe use.
Dugas
Erika
E
University of Montreal, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 3875 St Urbain, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1V1, Canada.
Tremblay
Michèle
M
Low
Nancy C P
NC
Cournoyer
Daniel
D
O'Loughlin
Jennifer
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000639:trends; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D014867:Water
D014867:Water