Learning Objective #1: Identify current predictors of tobacco use among all US youth

Learning Objective #2: Identify predictors of tobacco use among Arab and Arab American youth, 14 to 18 years of age

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Tobacco use in Arab Americans adults is among the highest in the world; however less is known about tobacco use among their children. As the Detroit metropolitan area is a major port of entry for peoples of the Middle East, the identification of tobacco use patterns among Arab American youth is important. DESIGN: A primary aim of this community-based clinical trial was to examine the cultural, personal, social, and environmental forces for tobacco use among Arab American youth. METHOD: A sample of 1671 Arab American, 14-18 year olds participated in phase one of this study. The sample was comprised equally of girls and boys with an average age of 16.03 years (SD=1.41); 57% were immigrants. Forty-nine percent reported one or more smokers in the home; 23% had one or more close friends who smoked. Overall the ‘current smoking' rate was 6.2%; 25.7% had experimented with smoking; and 24.3% reported Narghile (water pipe) use. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine 24 predictors in an Arab American Tobacco Use Model. Except for father smoking and self esteem, all predictors were significantly correlated to one or more of the outcome variables (‘Smoked in the Past 30 days', ‘Ever Smoked', and ‘Narghile Use'). Largest correlations for ‘current use' included: ‘buddies smoking' (r =.39)”, ‘mother born in USA' (r =.3.19, and ‘brothers and sisters who smokes' (r =2.69; 2.61 respectively). Youth who smoked Narghile were two times more likely to be ‘current users' and 8.42 times more likely to have ‘Ever Smoked' or experimented with cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Peer and family tobacco use were identified as the most important predictors of Arab American youth tobacco use. These findings suggest a need for creative prevention and cessation interventions that focus on peers and the Arab American family unit and their cultural traditions around tobacco use.