

One study found that positive attitudes and favorable normative beliefs were associated with increased odds of hookah initiation, whereas negative attitudes were associated with decreased odds.

To date, only three longitudinal studies have evaluated predictors of hookah initiation among US college students. Therefore, the temporal patterns of the initiation of hookah use in relation to other forms of substance use are not well understood. lifetime prevalence of hookah smoking increased from 29% at college entry to 45% at 1-year follow-up.ĭespite the prevalence and consequences of hookah use, little is known about predictors because the majority of extant research has been cross-sectional. One study specifically examining hookah initiation found that 23% of female college students who had never tried hookah before college reported hookah use during the first year of college The ability of students under age 21 to get into hookah lounges but not traditional bars,Īnd decreased parental monitoring. The popularity of hookah lounges in college towns, Media portrayals of hookah as exotic and trendy, The first year of college may be a particularly vulnerable time for hookah use, given permissive social norms about substance use in college environments, the highly social nature of hookah use, Or nonmedical use of prescription stimulants,ĭuring the first year of college.

The transition to college is a developmental context marked by identity exploration and experimentation.Ĭonsistent with this, prior research has found that many emerging adults initiate hookah tobacco smoking,Īs well as other forms of substance use, such as marijuana use Is an important time for establishing health behaviors. Hookah Use During the Transition to CollegeĮmerging adulthood, the transitional period (ages 18–25) between adolescence and young adulthood,
