Use of Tobacco Products in Turkish Children and Young People: Is there an Alarm for Hookah Use?

Abstract

In the recent years, it has been observed that the use of hookah, a tobacco product, has increased in children and young people in Turkey. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of cigarette and hookah use in children and young people specific to age and gender and to define the factors relevant to the use of hookah. The study was conducted with secondary/high school students between 11 and 17 years of age (Survey 1, n=4718) and with university students between 18 and 23 years of age (Survey 2, n=1588) as two groups, which made a total of 6306 students. The students were asked to fill in a questionnaire which consisted of questions about socio-demographic data and the use of tobacco and tobacco products. It was determined that the use of cigarette and hookah was high in males, and it increased as the age increased in both genders (p<0.05). It was also determined that parents and friends using cigarette and hookah affected the use of cigarette and hookah in the study groups in both surveys (p<0.05). Additionally, it was determined that the educational level of the parents and being of a high social class were the social determiners of hookah use (p<0.05). It is important that we fight against the use of all tobacco products, especially in young people. Education about the damages of tobacco and applying tobacco products should start at an early age, and accurate tobacco control models may provide support in this field.