Midwakh smoking as an emerging risky behavior in Qatar (2021-2022): Epidemiology, Knowledge, and Beliefs

Background

Tobacco consumption varies among different populations and regions. While cigarette smoking is the most prevalent form of tobacco consumption, alternative products like midwakh have emerged. There could be a misconception among smokers that these alternative products could be less harmful than regular cigarettes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, knowledge, and beliefs towards midwakh smoking and associated factors among adults in Qatar during 2021-2022.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2021 and January 2022. A list of adults (N=1,042) was obtained from Qatar's National Health Information System at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). The participants were randomly selected from the list and invited to participate in a voluntary telephone survey. Those aged 18 years and above and could communicate in English and Arabic were eligible to participate in the study.

Results

Out of 806 individuals, 117 (14.5%) had a history of midwakh smoking, which comprised 9.3% (n=75) of current midwakh smokers and 5.2% (n=42) of ever/past smoked midwakh. Many reasons were reported for smoking midwakh, such as joy, desire for trial, quitting other tobacco products, affordability, and lack of odor (Table 1). In addition, most current and ever midwakh users had friends, brothers, or fathers who smoked tobacco products (Figure 1). Most participants (70.9%) also believed smoking midwakh could cause addiction, and 66.7% thought smoking midwakh was more dangerous than other tobacco products and could cause serious health illnesses (Table 1).

Conclusion

Midwakh smoking was perceived as addictive and harmful amongst most participants. However, there is a rising trend of midwakh smoking, especially among non-Qatari and middle-aged. Peers tend to influence midwakh smoking strongly. Therefore, a nationwide comprehensive tobacco prevention program that addresses midwakh smoking should be implemented, focusing on peer support programs to tackle this harmful behavior and promote a healthy lifestyle.