181475 Exploring the Use of Waterpipes in the Arab American Community

Monday, October 27, 2008

Kristen Wenrich, MPH , Chronic Disease Department, Bethlehem Health Bureau, Bethlehem, PA
MaryEllen Shiels, BS , Chronic Disease Department, Allentown Health Bureau, Allentown, PA
Claudia Richan, BS , Chronic Disease Department, Bethlehem Health Bureau, Bethlehem, PA
Objective: To establish the prevalence of narghile (waterpipe) smoking among the Arab community in the Lehigh Valley, assess the influence of cultural and social practices on initiation and continued use and develop prevention and cessation strategies.

Methods: A needs assessment was conducted with 342 Arab Americans and three focus groups were held to assist with the development of a prevention and cessation program for narghile users.

Results: The increase in narghile use appears to be driven by a widely accepted belief that the activity is less dangerous than cigarette smoking. According to information gathered from the needs assessment and focus groups, there appears to be very limited knowledge among members of the local Arab American community about the specific health effects of narghile consumption. In addition, narghile smoking among teens is viewed as acceptable among adults.

Conclusions: Although cultural and social pressures make narghile abatement efforts difficult, there is a need to make comparisons between narghile and cigarettes as a key way to reduce consumption levels. Any successful efforts at reducing narghile use among the adolescent Arab American population have to include a significant initiative to convince parents to oppose narghile use.

Learning Objectives:
Develop a waterpipe prevention and cessation program for Arab Americans.

Keywords: Tobacco, Special Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a B.S. with concentrations in Community Health Education and School Health Education. Employed by the City of Allentown Bureau of Health since October 1992, I am responsible for managing cancer and tobacco initiatives. These responsibilities include coordinating the tobacco prevention and cessation activities as the primary contractor for our county's Master Settlement Agreement between May 2002 and September 2007. For the past year, I have been on the team of health professionals responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating the attitudes regarding waterpipes and the use of waterpipes among the Arab American community in the Lehigh Valley. This abstract presents the findings from the first year of activities addressing waterpipe (aka arghile) attitudes and uses via education and cessation programs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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