@article { author = {Saravanan, Coumaravelou and Attlee, Amita and Sulaiman, Nabil}, title = {A Cross Sectional Study on Knowledge, Beliefs and Psychosocial Predictors of Shisha Smoking among University Students in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates}, journal = {Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, pages = {903-909}, year = {2019}, publisher = {West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.}, issn = {1513-7368}, eissn = {2476-762X}, doi = {10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.3.903}, abstract = {Background: Smoking is now prohibited in all educational institutions and other public places in the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE), but shisha smoking is considered as one of the major problems among the students population.This study aimed to identify the (a) prevalence of ever shisha, current shisha and shisha dependency smokers amonguniversity students in the University of Sharjah (UOS), (b) knowledge and belief differences among ever shisha,current shisha as well as shisha dependency smoking students, (c) relationship between precipitating factors and shishadependency and (d) precipitating factors (stimulation, handling, pleasure, tension reduction, addiction (dependency),automatism (habit) and social interaction, parents smoking behavior, knowledge and beliefs about smoking predictshisha dependency among students in UOS. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 633 studentsparticipated from UOS, UAE. Knowledge and Belief scale, Modified Reason for Smoking Scale and Fagerstrom Testfor Nicotine Dependence (FTND) were used to measure knowledge, beliefs, shisha dependency and predictive factorsof smoking behavior among undergraduate students in UOS. Results: Nearly103 (16.3%) of students were addictiveto shisha smoking based on FTND. Students had adequate knowledge that smoking led to cardiac problems; however,their knowledge about the other consequences of smoking was inadequate and believed that smoking was not harmful.There was a significant positive relationship between addiction, pleasure, social interaction, habit, parental smokingbehavior and shisha dependency behavior among current shisha dependency students. Habit, addiction, pleasure, socialinteraction and parental smoking were the predictors of shisha smoking dependency among this population. Step wisemultiple regressions showed that social interaction was the highest significant predictor for shisha dependency behavior.Conclusions: Hence, there is a need to enhance the knowledge and modify irrational beliefs about shisha smoking asthese students possess inadequate knowledge about consequences of shisha smoking.}, keywords = {Shisha smoking,precipitating factors,Knowledge,beliefs}, url = {https://journal.waocp.org/article_82576.html}, eprint = {https://journal.waocp.org/article_82576_59834d3284708fb19cc41b71f14d74b6.pdf} }