Health Communication Efforts to Reduce Hookah Use among Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Background: Hookah is addictive and hazardous for health, but it has become popular particularly among adolescence.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Health Communication Efforts (HCE) based on the KAP model to reduce hookah use among adolescents in Sirjan, Iran.

Methods: This was a pre- and postintervention study. Participants were 280 male and female adolescences who were selected randomly from the schools of Sirjan. The educational campaign was conducted for 3 months and participants were trained through interpersonal, group, organizational, and community channels and mass media. Data were collected by filling out a questionnaire (containing 35 questions) by the participants before the intervention and 3 months after. Data were analyzed by chi-square, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and paired t-test, through SPSS20 software.

Results: The prevalence of hookah smoking was 43.9% among the adolescence. There was a significant change in the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice after the HCE (p < .05). Also, the prevalence of hookah smoking among the target group for those who had ever consumed decreased from 8.9% to 4.3% and for those who used it occasionally decreased from 35% to 19.6%. The windshield survey before and 6 months after the intervention, conducted in two major parks in the city showed that the number of people smoking hookah decreased as well.

Discussion: The HCE was effective in reducing hookah smoking, and raising knowledge, attitude, and practice among the adolescence of Sirjan. Hence, this KAP-based campaign can be used as an educational intervention for preventing hookah use among adolescents.

Translation to Health Education Practice: This study supports the suitability of HCE as an intervention for reducing hookah use and changing the social norms against using hookah.

Acknowledgments

Researchers would like to thank the Research Deputy of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Sirjan School of Medical Sciences which financially supported this research, and all of the individuals who participated in this study. The study was also financially supported by the Meraj-Andishe Organization.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Research Deputy of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Sirjan School of Medical Sciences.