Study of Effective Factors in the Tendency of Young People to Smoke Hookah in Teahouses in Deprived Areas of Zahedan in 2018 - 2019

Background: Given the increasing trend of hookah use among youth in deprived areas and the increasing number of traditional teahouses serving hookahs, it is critical to investigate the reasons for this issue. Objectives: The aim was to determine the factors affecting the tendency to use hookahs. Methods: This study was conducted in Zahedan City, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The sampling method in this study was cluster sampling, such that among 15 traditional teahouses, 4 teahouses were randomly chosen. After referring to each of these teahouses, 1385 questionnaire forms were distributed among all youth, and 300 questionnaire forms were returned. The structured questionnaire consisted of a series of questions about demographic data, favorite flavor, duration of using a hookah, the main reason for hookah smoking, etc. The analysis of the data involved both descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, SD, and linear regression. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The results of linear regression showed that the duration of smoking (B = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.22-0.37) and reason for smoking were significantly associated with the rate of hookah smoking (B = 0/56; 95% CI, 0.45 - 0.68). Conclusions: As a result, there is a strong association between smoking duration and the atmosphere of traditional teahouses with the rate of hookah smoking. Thus, other places with a healthy atmosphere (such as gyms and sports clubs) should be made for youths to spend their time.