title: Ethnicity and waterpipe smoking among US students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of ethnicity on waterpipe smoking among college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study utilized data from University of Houston students through an online survey (n = 2334) from March to April 2011. The survey included questions on demographic  characteristics (sex, age, race/ethnicity), tobacco use experience, risk perception, social acceptability and popularity. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of waterpipe use with three outcomes: ever-use vs. no use, past-year use vs. no use and past-month use  vs. no use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half of the sample had previously smoked tobacco using a waterpipe, approximately a third in the past year and 12.5% in the past month. Significant predictors included Middle Eastern ethnicity, Middle Eastern friend, past cigarette or cigar use. Perception of harm was  associated with less use in the ever-use model, while perceived addictiveness, social acceptability and popularity of waterpipes were predictors in all models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings underscore the importance of developing culturally appropriate interventions to control waterpipe smoking  among Middle Eastern Americans and those of Indian/Pakistani descent to curb further spread in US society, and highlight the importance of developing interventions that target the perceived addictiveness, social acceptability and popularity of waterpipe smoking.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community Health, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. smabughosh@uh.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abughosh
authors.forename: I-H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hawari
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Essien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult