Jordanian Adolescent Cannabis Use: Patterns, Risks, And Protective Factors

ABSTRACT JORDANIAN ADOLESCENT CANNABIS USE: PATTERNS, RISKS, AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS by SUKAINA ALZYOUD Month, 2010 Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Schim Major: Nursing Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Background: Cannabis is considered to be the most commonly used substances worldwide. Its use is not only common among adolescents but is increasing in developing countries such as Jordan. Cannabis use among adolescents has been linked to unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic problems, and illegal behavior such as driving under the influence. Studies of cannabis use patterns, risks, and protective factors are limited in developing countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the patterns, risks, and protective factors for cannabis use among Jordanian adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive/correlational survey design was used to assess the patterns among Jordanian adolescents 13-18 years of age drawn from Zarka Governorate in Jordan. Zarka Governorate is located at the central region of Jordan and is home to 15% of the total Jordanian population. Sample size was estimated using a 95% confidence interval for p that is expected to be about 50% (0.50). The final sample was 384 Jordanian students who attend public schools and participated in the study. These participants were recruited using simple random sampling from three grades (8th, 10th, &12th). Following permission from the Jordanian Ministry of Education and Wayne State University IRB, participant assent, and parental consent for those less than 18 years of age, students were asked to complete an Arabic version of the POSIT, CAST, AKABSU questionnaires. Reliability & validity was confirmed for the Arabic version of study measures used with adolescents participants. Results: An 11.7% of Jordanian adolescents reported using cannabis. Male Jordanian adolescents were more likely to use cannabis than females. Living in a single-parent household, and association with cannabis using friends were among the significant associated risk factors of adolescents cannabis use. Gender, father cannabis user, and educational status were among the strong predictors of adolescents cannabis use. Adolescent\u27s positive attitudes and beliefs were predictors of adolescents cannabis use. Implications: This study is the next critical step towards establishing a base line data of Jordanian adolescent\u27s health risk behaviors. Developing prevention programs directed to adolescents, families, and at-risk populations

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: APPLICATION CASE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Universities represent a vital body part of any societies. Universities nowadays are faced with new environment and challenges that necessitate the need to be independent from governmental and state support. The changing environment in which universities function and the challenges that higher education has been facing were identified as: mass expansion of higher education; decrease of state expenditure and support for universities; diversification of financial resources; internationalization; commercialization; changes brought by IC&T development, the adaptation of curricula to accommodate and capitalize on labour market requirements. These changes and challenges will have their impact on the quality of education, university autonomy, academic freedom, its changing focus and responsibilities towards society. This highlight that universities are moving toward corporatization which calls for them to be a good corporate citizen and the best approach for universities to achieve that is by adapting the concept of Social Responsibility. This paper aims to discuss how universities could achieve development, sustainability, and competitiveness through applying University social Responsibility USR concepts. Also this paper will present the case of The Hashemite University as a socially responsible university. In conclusion applying social responsibility to universities will help them facing the rapidly changing environment and challenges. University social responsibility can be used effectively by universities as presented in the case of Hashemite University to ensure development and sustainability for the university and society

Individual-level determinants of waterpipe smoking demand in four Eastern-Mediterranean countries

© 2018 The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is at alarmingly high levels, especially among young people. The objective of this research was to evaluate the preferences of young adult waterpipe smokers with respect to potential individual-level determinants of waterpipe smoking using discrete choice experiment methodology. Participants were young adult university students (18-29 years) who were ever waterpipe smokers, recruited from universities across four Eastern Mediterranean countries: Jordan, Oman, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates. The Internet-based discrete choice experiment, with 6 × 3 × 2 block design, evaluated preferences for choices of waterpipe smoking sessions, presented on hypothetical waterpipe café menus. Participants evaluated nine choice sets, each with five fruit-flavored options, a tobacco flavored option (non-flavored), and an opt-out option. Choices also varied based on nicotine content (0.0% vs. 0.05% vs. 0.5%) and price (low vs. high). Participants were randomized to receive menus with either a pictorial + text health-warning message or no message (between-subjects attribute). Multinomial logit regression models evaluated the influence of these attributes on waterpipe smoking choices. Across all four samples (n = 1859), participants preferred fruit-flavored varieties to tobacco flavor, lower nicotine content and lower prices. Exposure to the health warning did not significantly predict likelihood to opt-out. Flavor accounted for 81.4% of waterpipe smoking decisions. Limiting the use of fruit flavors in waterpipe tobacco, in addition to accurate nicotine content labeling and higher pricing may be effective at curbing the demand for waterpipe smoking among young adults

Waterpipe use and cognitive susceptibility to cigarette smoking among never-cigarette smoking Jordanian youth: Analysis of the 2009 Global Youth Tobacco Survey

Introduction: Susceptibility to cigarette smoking, defined as lack of a firm decision to not initiate smoking, predicts youth smoking initiation and experimentation and is a first step in the transition to regular smoking. This study investigated whether waterpipe (WP) smoking, an increasingly prevalent form of tobacco use among Arab adolescents, was associated with increased susceptibility to cigarette smoking. Methods: A secondary analysis of the 2009 Jordan Global Youth Tobacco Survey was conducted to assess the association between WP use and cigarette susceptibility, after adjusting for important confounders. Results: A total of 1,476 youth aged 13-15 years old who had never smoked cigarettes were identified and represented 166,593 never-cigarette smoking Jordanian youth. We found 40% of boys and 29% of girls were susceptible to cigarette smoking, and both boys (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41-1.54) and girls (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.83-2.04) who had ever smoked WP were more susceptible to cigarette smoking than those who never smoked WP. Conclusion: This is the first study to report that WP use may increase youth\u27s susceptibility to initiate cigarette smoking

Association of Religious Commitment and Tobacco Use Among Muslim Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between religious observance and tobacco use among a sample of Jordanian youth. Using multistage, random sampling, a cross-sectional survey of middle and high school students was conducted. Of the 950 Muslim students in the study, 32 % were daily tobacco users and 72 % prayed regularly. Frequency of praying was negatively associated with tobacco smoking. Religious observance was found to be strongly associated with tobacco smoking among Jordanian youth. Our results indicate that religion can be a culturally important tool in health professionals’ efforts for tobacco control

Waterpipe Smoking among Middle and High School Jordanian Students: Patterns and Predictors

Despite the increase in attention to waterpipe tobacco smoking, the patterns and predictors of this method of tobacco use among Jordanian youth are not well known. The current study was conducted to assess the patterns and the predictors of waterpipe tobacco smoking among school aged students in one of Jordan’s Central Governorates. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the patterns and predictors of waterpipe tobacco smoking among youth (grades 6, 8, 10 and 12). Using a multistage random sampling more than 1,000 students was selected. Data were collected using the Arabic Youth Tobacco Use Composite Measure (YTUCM). Waterpipe smoking was assessed for “past 12 months”, “past month” and “past week”. Students’ ages ranged from 11 to 18 years, (mean age ± 14.7; SD ± 1.9 years). The percentage of girls who smoked waterpipe was greater for all frequencies of use than it was for boys. Age, gender, and belief that smoking makes more friends were predictors of smoking among study participants. This is the first known study to examine waterpipe smoking among youth aged 11 and 12. Our findings illustrate the need for public health campaigns to reach and educate youth, their families, teachers and school systems regarding the growing recognized health risks of waterpipe smoking

Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking among Arab Youth; a Cross-Country Study

OBJECTIVE: 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. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 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. MAIN MEASURES: 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. RESULTS: 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%). CONCLUSION: Among Arab boys and girls, WTS represents a growing strain of the tobacco epidemic that requires immediate attention

Waterpipe tobacco smoking among arab youth; A cross-country study

Objective: 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. Design, Setting and Participants: 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. Main Measures: 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. Results: 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%). Conclusion: Among Arab boys and girls, WTS represents a growing strain of the tobacco epidemic that requires immediate attention

Collision of waterpipe and cigarette smoking epidemics among youth in Arab countries

Background: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) emerges as a new component of the global tobacco epidemic. Adolescents smoking waterpipe are susceptible to cigarette smoking, but limited research has characterized dual (cigarette plus waterpipe) users. The study objective is to determine the prevalence estimates of dual users to understand how “collision” of the two epidemics is evolving in the Arab countries.Methods: Data (n = 31,359; N = 6,109,572) were obtained from nationally representative Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTSs) from 17 Arab countries. Current tobacco use was categorized into four groups—cigarette smoking only, WTS only, dual use, and never use. Weighted age-, sex-, and country-specific prevalence estimates along with 95% confidence intervals were reported.Results: Overall 3.0%, 6.1%, and 3.8% of youth were cigarette smokers only, WTS only, and dual users. Boys reported high prevalence estimates of cigarette smoking only (5.1% vs 1.1%), WTS only (7.4% vs 4.6%), and dual use (3.7% vs 2.1%) than girls. Dual-use estimates ranged from 0.7% in Oman to 15.0% in West Bank and WTS only ranged from 0.9% in Oman to 6.6% in United Arab Emirates.Conclusion: Dual use and WTS is well established among Arab youth and represents a new dimension to the global tobacco epidemic that may not respond to traditional tobacco control interventions