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Background: Shisha smoking is a growing health concern in most countries and this habit of smoking tobacco is on the increase in Nigeria. It is on the rise among youths along with proliferation of clubs, bars and hotels all over the country. The increased use in Nigeria can be attributed to easy access to tobacco products., Objective: To determine the prevalence of Shisha smoking and evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of Shisha smoking among university undergraduates at a private university in Nigeria., Methods: In 2021, a cross-sectional online study was carried out among university students at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, using a self-administered questionnaire., Results: Overall, a total of 446 students took part in the study (115 males, 321 females) with mean age of 19.7 ± 2.9. The prevalence of Shisha smoking amongst the study respondents was 4.6%. About 25.0% of those that smoked shisha stated that they have been trying to quit with none of them seeking professional help. The mean knowledge score was 6.1 ± 2.6. The knowledge of shisha was highest among females and year 6 students. A little over half of the study respondents did not know that Shisha smoking was associated with cancers (52.8%) or that Shisha contained tobacco (58.3%). On the average, the study participants had very good attitude towards Shisha smoking with an average attitude score of 3.4 ± 0.4. The best attitude score was seen in females and year 6 students. The difference was not statistically significant. (p>0.05)., Conclusion: The habit of shisha smoking occurs among youths who may be unaware of the tobacco content and increasing evidences of possible health risks. The findings in this study may help in formulating policies which are geared towards combating this growing menace in our schools and the society at large., Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2023 by West African Journal of Medicine.)

Background: Shisha is a form of smoked tobacco product. Medical trainees are potential stakeholders in providing accurate information about shisha and discouraging its use. However, few studies have targeted medical trainees to provide much-needed information for policymaking and planning of programs., Aim: To determine the prevalence and predictors of shisha use among medical and dental students in Ibadan, Nigeria., Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and dental students (n = 252) of the University of Ibadan, selected using the stratified random sampling technique. The Global Health Profession Students Survey (GHPSS) questionnaire was used to obtain information about socio-demographics, shisha and other tobacco use, and knowledge and attitude towards shisha use. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Continuous data were presented using mean and standard deviation, whereas categorical variables were reported as proportions. The association between the outcome variable (shisha use) and independent variables (sociodemographic characteristics, having friends who use shisha) was measured using Pearson's Chi-square test, and factors significant (P < 0.05) were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model., Result: The mean age (± SD) was 21.7 (± 3.1) years. Over half [136 (54%)] were males, and most [199 (79%)] were medical students. About 28 (11%) were not aware of shisha, whereas 22 (8.7%) reported they had ever used shisha. The mean knowledge score was 5.6 ± 4.7, and 76 (33.9%) supported shisha use. Positive predictors of shisha use included the male gender [OR: 6.4 (95% CI: 1.76-23.10)] and having a friend who uses shisha [OR: 28.2 (95% CI: 5.49-144.23)]., Conclusion: The prevalence of shisha use among medical and dental students in Ibadan is unacceptably high, although low compared to other countries in similar resource settings. Surprisingly, the students had poor knowledge about shisha, and over a third supported its use, especially males who were more prone to use it. There is a need to design targeted health promotion and education for the students, especially males., Competing Interests: None

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., Competing Interests: None

Introduction: Limited research exists describing young people's knowledge and risk perception of e-cigarettes and hookah in Nigeria. This qualitative study explored the knowledge and risk perception of e-cigarettes and hookah amongst young people in Lagos, Nigeria., Methods: Participants (n = 20), aged 15-24 years who had used e-cigarettes or hookah at least once in the past 12 months, participated in three focus group (FG) discussions in January 2020. Each FG session consisted of 6-7 participants, was facilitated by a trained moderator and lasted approximately 60 min. Sessions were recorded, and notes were taken after informed consent. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using NVIVO 10 software., Results: An essential element of our findings was that the majority of the participants seemed to be more aware of hookah and used hookah compared to e-cigarettes. The participants mentioned they used these tobacco products mainly to reduce stress, for pleasure and for social acceptance. Most of the study participants reported that they were aware of some adverse health effects associated with e-cigarette or hookah use. Although some participants felt that the use of e-cigarettes or hookah could transform to cigarette smoking, many felt that e-cigarette was a harm reduction tool., Conclusion: Young users of e-cigarettes and hookah continue to use these products though they are aware of some associated adverse health effects. These products are used primarily for relieving stress and for social reasons. Raising awareness of the risks associated with the use of these tobacco products may help to reduce the acceptability of these products amongst youths., Competing Interests: None