Abstract:
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and predictors of smoking nargileh and-or cigarettes among school students in Greater Beirut, Lebanon. Methods: A proportionate random sample of 2443 students from 13 public and private schools was selected and asked to complete self-administered anonymous questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of smoking cigarettes only, nargileh only, and both was 2.5percent, 25.6percent, and 6.3percent, respectively. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the predictors of smoking for either type are different, whereby nargileh smoking is more culturally accepted than cigarette smoking. Conclusions: Design interventions to increase awareness towards the hazards of the misconceived harmless effects of nargileh smoking.