The reasons of tendency toward hookah smoking among teens and youth in Iran - A qualitative study

Abstract

With the dramatic growing trend toward hookah usage and increased morbidity and mortality caused by smoking, we started a study to research regarding the causes of hookah smoking among teenagers and youth living in Bushehr city. This is a qualitative study. Research environment is considered to be all public places and the research population comprised of all teenagers and youth of Bushehr. 12 participants were selected by purposive sampling. The method of data collection was semi-structured interviews with Participants that were recorded concession and immediately rewritten and analyzed. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Data analysis resulted in three main themes including: “the influence of culture”, “prone context”, and “difficulty of quitting”. The most common reasons of increasing use of hookah in Bushehr are: “common culture of using hookah among family and friends”, “lack of enforcement of prohibiting laws about the use of hookah in public”, “lack of knowledge about hookah complications and having the wrong belief about hookah: (being less harmful than smoking)”, “desirable taste and smell of fruity hookahs” and “having no better fun” and “social stress between young people”. The results suggest the public health officials should consider this problem as an urgent priority and along with using effective methods for making the culture and educating people; they should start planning to reduce the consumption