Patterns of Waterpipe Use among Arab Immigrants in the USA: A Pilot Study

Aim: Waterpipe smoking is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., especially among minority groups. The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore the patterns of waterpipe use, as well as the association between acculturation factors and waterpipe use among Arab immigrants living in the Richmond, Virginia (VA) metropolitan area.
Methods: We surveyed self-identified Arab American Immigrants in Middle Eastern restaurants/lounges and Middle Eastern groceries, in the Richmond, VA metropolitan area. A total of 221 Arab Americans participated in this study.
Results: In this sample, higher rates of waterpipe use were found among male subjects (66.6%) than females (31.4%).Our results indicated no significant association between the type of tobacco used (exclusive versus dual) and desire or future intentions to quit waterpipe use. Upon examining the proxy indicators of acculturation, none of them was significant for the entire sample. However, upon stratifying the results by group (exclusive vs. dual), exclusive waterpipe use was significantly correlated with proportion of life lived in the US as r(16)=0.56, p=0.02 but the correlation remained not significant among dual smokers r( 23)= 0.08, p=0.6.
Conclusion: Further studies are needed to confirm the relatively high prevalence of waterpipe use among Arab Americans. There is a need to develop effective prevention strategies that will consider the acculturation process when trying to control the spread of waterpipe use among minority groups in the U.S.