Barnett TE, et al. – This research ascertained how positive cognitions directed toward cigarettes moderated the effect of positive hookah cognitions, on past 30 day hookah use among youth. It was observed that Hookah cognitions were generally more linked to the hookah use among youth who did not endorse positive cognitions for cigarettes compared to those that endorsed positive cognitions for cigarettes. This finding was significant particularly for youth who felt negatively about cigarettes were more affected by their hookah–specific cognitions. Youth who felt that cigarettes posed harm could gain an advantage from messaging about the harms of hookah. It was determined that interventions or prevention efforts that drew strong comparisons between cigarettes and hookah could be effective among youth.

Methods

• Findings from the 2015 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey identified the cognitions and use patterns among high school students.
• Weighted means and proportions performed the demographic comparisons for cognitions about products.
• t-Tests and chi-square analysis were crried out for the variations between users and non-users.
• Logistic regressions were done for the modeling of interaction between hookah and cigarette cognition.

Results

• Approximately one out of ten (9.6%) of adolescents reported current hookah use.
• Across all cognition measures, positive hookah cognitions correlated with current hookah use.
• A pattern was noted of the hookah cognitions exhibiting strong relation with current hookah use, among those students that did not endorse the equivalent cognition for traditional cigarettes.