Water Pipe Smoking and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Population-Based Study

Background: Water pipe smoking is increasing in Eastern Mediterranean Region. The objective of this study was to investigate any relationship between water pipe smoking and healthrelated quality of life in the general population of Bandar Abbas, Iran. Methods: Using a multistage sampling method, a random sample of 1675 individuals aged 15 years and over was studied from June through July 2007. All eligible participants were interviewed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire and a short questionnaire containing items regarding socio-demographic characteristics and water pipe smoking status. To compare SF-36 scores between water pipe smokers and nonsmokers, t-test was performed. In addition, multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influence of water pipe smoking on SF-36 scores after adjusting for other independent variables. Results: In all, 1675 individuals were studied. The mean age of the respondents was 42.1 (SD=16.5) years. One hundred and seventy-two participants (10.4%) were water pipe smokers. There were statistically significant differences between water pipe smokers and nonsmokers on all scales except for role emotional (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that using water pipe was a risk factor for decreasing Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores [OR (95% CI): 2.15 (1.56 – 2.96), P<0.01; and OR (95% CI): 1.88 (1.36 – 2.60), P<0.01, respectively]. Conclusion: The study findings indicated that people who smoked water pipe carried a higher risk for poorer health-related quality of life.