title: Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking among Arab Youth; a Cross-Country Study.
abstract: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) is considered a global epidemic that is spreading among youth. Our analysis was conducted to compare the national baseline prevalence rate estimates of WTS among Arab boys and girls.
  
  
  
  The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is a school-based survey using standardized self-administered questionnaires; it employs a two-stage cluster sampling technique to obtain a representative sample of youth (13-15 years of age). We conducted a secondary data analysis of nationally representative GYTSs available from 16 Arab countries.
  
  
  
  Youth who self-reported smoking waterpipe at least once in the past 30 days were considered to be current waterpipe tobacco smokers. National weighted WTS prevalence rate estimates along with respective 95% confidence intervals were reported for boys and girls.
  
  
  
  Pooled GYTS data from 16 Arab countries yielded a total of 31,359 youth. Overall, 10.6% of the respondents were current waterpipe tobacco smokers, with boys (13.7%) having significantly higher estimates than girls (7.2%). Overall, current WTS prevalence rate estimates ranged from .9% in Oman to 34.2%, in Lebanon. The WTS epidemic was more predominant among boys and girls, respectively, in the West Bank (42.8% and 24.2%), Lebanon (38.6% and 30.5%) and Jordan (25.7% and 14.5%).
  
  
  
  Among Arab boys and girls, WTS represents a growing strain of the tobacco epidemic that requires immediate attention.
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology.
authors: Khalid A
authors: KA
authors: Kheirallah
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Yarmouk Hospital, Jordan Ministry of Health.
authors: Jomana W
authors: JW
authors: Alsulaiman
authors: Faculty of Science, University of Jordan/ Aqaba Branch.
authors: Al-Sakran
authors: AS
authors: Mohammad H
authors: Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, Hashemite University.
authors: Sukaina
authors: S
authors: Alzyoud
authors: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Sreenivas P
authors: SP
authors: Veeranki
authors: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis.
authors: Kenneth D
authors: KD
authors: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018912:Arabs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000073869:Tobacco Smoking; D000073867:Water Pipe Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*
keywords: Smoking; Tobacco; Waterpipe; Youth