The Survey of Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Perceived Behavioral Control of College Students about Hookah Smoking Cessation

Smoking hookah habit among the young is rising and it is necessary to pay more attention to this problem. This study aimed to determine the attitude، subjective norms and perceived behavioral control of mail students about hookah smoking cessation in 2012.

This study was descriptive-analytical. After designing and assessing validity and reliability of questionnaires، 90 male hookah smoker students who were resident in the dormitories of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected by multistage sampling method. The students were asked to fill out questionnaires. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using chi-square test and independent sample t-test.

The results showed that %58. 9 of subjects planned to quit. Although students believed that hookah smoking cessation can prevent many diseases، beliefs such as being non-addictive، reducing anxiety and fatigue، and being worry about break off relation with friends who smoke hookah were their major reason for continuing hookah smoking. Family and community expected students to quit hookah smoking. Students expressed that barriers such as not being able to say ''no'' against their friends’ offers، being difficult to overcome hookah smoking temptations as well as not to smoke hookah in the recreational and friendly environments، make it more difficult to stop.

The design of interventions for smoking hookah cessation among college students can be focused on eliminating positive attitudes about hookah and developing skills to say ''no''، relaxation and coping with smoking hookah temptations.