Knowledge and sociodemographic predictors of shisha smoking among students in a Nigerian university

Background: There is a global rise in shisha smoking amongst the youths. Information on the prevalence and knowledge of the constituents and the harmful effects of shisha smoking is important for the development of prevention strategies and policies. Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and sociodemographic predictors of shisha smoking among the university students. Subjects and Methods: A structured 12-item questionnaire was administered to the university students at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The prevalence, knowledge, and predictors of shisha smoking and the association between sociodemographic factors were studied. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 546 university students studied, 24.7% (135) had smoked shisha. The percentage of those knowledgeable about the constituents and its ill effects of shisha smoking was 14.8% (81), those with poor knowledge was 94.1% among shisha smokers. Females and social sciences students demonstrated statistically significant better knowledge of shisha (P = 0.007, and 0.027, respectively). The main predictors of shisha smoking were: poor knowledge (odd ratio, OR = 4.48, 95% confidence interval, CI [2.02, 9.93], P = 0.001), being in 400 level of study (OR = 2.63, 95% CI [1.12, 6.13], P = 0.724) and being in the faculty of social science (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [0.50, 3.09], P = 0.638). Conclusions: The prevalence of shisha smoking in this study was 24.7%, and the most influential factors were the level of study, type of faculty, and knowledge of the constituents and harmful effects of shisha. Lecturers and administrators of different faculties of the university should be engaged to include shisha smoking prevention programs in their curriculum.