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. 2024 Aug 29:17:1179173X241275352.
doi: 10.1177/1179173X241275352. eCollection 2024.

Trends and Disparities in Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking Among US Adolescents and Adults: PATH Study 2013-2021

Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan  1 , Wei Li  2 , Olatokunbo Osibogun  3 , Rime Jebai  4 , Prem Gautam  5 , Olufemi Erinoso  6 , Seyede Yasaman Alemohammad  3 , Sheida Khosravaniardakani  3 , Ghader Dargahi Abbasabad  7 , Raed Behaleh  8 , Kenneth D Ward  9 , Zoran Bursac  10 , Ziyad Ben Taleb  11
Affiliations

Trends and Disparities in Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking Among US Adolescents and Adults: PATH Study 2013-2021

Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan et al. Tob Use Insights. .

Abstract

Background: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) is a popular mode of nicotine delivery among young people. We examined the trends and disparities in WTS from 2013 to 2021 among US adolescents and adults.

Methods: Data were from Wave 1 (initially conducted among 32 320 adults and 13 651 adolescents) to Wave 6 (2013-2021) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. We assessed the weighted prevalence of ever and current (past 30-day) WTS for adults and adolescents across waves stratified by demographics.

Results: From 2013-2021 among adolescents, the prevalence of ever and current WTS decreased by 86.5% (7.4% to 1.00%; p = 0.0364) and 97.1% (1.65% to 0.05%; p = 0.0012), respectively. Despite the decreasing trends among adolescents across all waves, females had a higher prevalence of ever and current WTS compared to males (p 's < 0.001 for all trends). Hispanics had the highest prevalence of ever WTS compared to other races/ethnicities (p 's < 0.001). Adolescents aged 15-17 had a higher (except Wave 6) prevalence of ever and current WTS than 12-14 years old (p 's < 0.001). For adults, the prevalence of ever WTS increased by 27.4% (16.39% to 20.92%; p = 0.0006), and current WTS decreased by 45.5% (2.19% to 1.24%; p = 0.0012). Young adults aged 18-24 experienced increasing trends in WTS and had the highest prevalence of ever and current WTS compared to other age groups (p 's < 0.001) across all waves.

Conclusions: Our study indicates a notable decrease in adolescent WTS prevalence from 2013 to 2021 but an increase of ever WTS among adults. Demographic differences underscore disparities in WTS, calling for tailored interventions.

Keywords: adolescents; adults; population assessment of tobacco and health; waterpipe tobacco smoking.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Weighted prevalence of ever and current aWTS among US adolescents (A) and Adults (B). Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, 2013-2021. Abbreviation: aWTS, Waterpipe tobacco smoking; W, wave. Note: Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals for corresponding percentages.
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