Epidemiology attitudes and perceptions toward cig

Authors: Munir Ahmad AbuHelalah Hussam Ahmad Alshraideh AlaAldeen Ahmad AlSerhan Adel Issa Nesheiwat Moh’d Da’na Ahmad AlNawafleh

Publish Date: 2015/07/21

Volume: 20, Issue: 6, Pages: 422-433

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Abstract

The aims of this study are to assess cigarette and hookah smoking rates amongst adult population in Jordan and to determine predictors of smoking status Selected beliefs perceptions and attitudes toward cigarettes and hookah smoking were also assessedThis crosssectional study was conducted in five regional governorates of Jordan through facetoface interviews on a random sample of adult population aged 18–79 years Data was collected using a piloted questionnaire based on the Global Adult Tobacco QuestionnaireThe overall prevalence of cigarette smoking in our sample 869 was 591  amongst males and 233  amongst females while the overall prevalence of hookah smoking was 189  amongst males and 231  amongst females Leisure and imitation were the most commonly reported reasons for smoking Regardless of smoking status people were aware of health risks associated smoking and also had negative perceptions toward smokingSmoking rates for both genders have reached alarmingly high rates in Jordan There is an urgent need for a comprehensive national programme to target the country’s growing burden of smoking Suggestions on leisure time activities should be included in such programmesTobacco smoking has reached epidemic proportions in many countries around the world According to the World Health Organization WHO this epidemic has become one of the biggest public health threats that the world has ever faced The WHO estimates there are more than 5 million deaths from direct tobacco use and 600000 deaths from secondhand smoking annually low and middleincome countries are worst affected by tobacco in terms of morbidity and mortality 25Results from recent systematic review on global tobacco use showed that there are wide variations in smoking rates between countries for both genders The estimated prevalence of daily smoking in men ranged from more than 50  in countries such as Armenia Indonesia and Russia to less than 10  in countries such as Ethiopia Nigeria Sao Tome and Sudan 16Data from the Middle East indicates that smoking is highly prevalent amongst males but not amongst females For example a national survey from Kuwait revealed that the prevalence of smoking was 344  95  confidence interval CI 322–366 among men and 19  95  CI 13–25 among women These figures are similar to those from Morocco where the overall prevalence of ‘current smokers’ was 315  for males and 31  for females 14

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