Prevalence and correlates of lifetime waterpipe, cigarette, alcohol and drug use among secondary school students in Stoke-on-Trent, UK: a post hoc cross-sectional analysis.
BACKGROUND
Waterpipe smoking is a growing public health concern in the UK. We sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of waterpipe use among young people in Stoke-on-Trent, comparing results with other substances of use.


METHODS
We analysed data from the Young People's Lifestyle Survey, conducted among 1252 secondary school students aged 11-16 years in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Logistic regression models were created to compare correlates of lifetime waterpipe smoking to cigarette, alcohol and drug use.


RESULTS
The prevalence of lifetime waterpipe smoking was 12.0%, higher than lifetime drug use (6.5%) but lower than cigarette (22.2%) and alcohol (49.2%) use. All substances of use were significant correlates of each other. Other significant correlates for lifetime waterpipe use included increasing age, male gender and South Asian ethnicity. For lifetime cigarette use, these were increasing age and presence of free school meals. For lifetime alcohol use, these were increasing age, female gender and White ethnicity. Lifetime drug use had no additional significant correlates.


CONCLUSIONS
Waterpipe smoking was correlated with different factors compared with other common forms of substance use. Detailed waterpipe questions should be added to routine national health surveys to understand its future epidemiological course in the UK.
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, UK.
Mohammed
M
Jawad
Department of Public Health, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
Claire
C
McIver
Department of Public Health, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
Zafar
Z
Iqbal
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062789:Tobacco Products; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
epidemiology; smoking; young people.