The Association between Waterpipe Use and Resilience in University Students: A Study at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Introduction: It has been well documented that resilience is a protective factor against the abuse of a variety of drugs. To date, this factor has not been examined regarding waterpipe smoking. This study aims to investigate the predictive role of resilience in tobacco use among students of the University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a consecutive sample of college students (n = 820) at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2019. To this end, the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14) was used. The students entered the study using convenience sampling. Self-administered questionnaires were completed anonymously and confidentially in the classroom. Besides, multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between waterpipe smoking and resilience. In addition, SPSS version 24 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean (SD) age of the participants was 22.2 (3.0) years. A total of 776 subjects were enrolled into the study, with 47.3% of whom having been female. Most of the students were single (84.4%). The prevalence of waterpipe use in the past 30 days was 33.4%. The initiation age of waterpipe smoking in 75.1% of the students was ≤ 18. Low resilience was (OR=7.10, CI: 4.75-10.62, p < 0.001) the strongest predictor of waterpipe smoking among students. Conclusion: Given the importance of resilience in the field of tobacco use, this study suggests that resilience-building programs be included in university curricula especially at the time of university enrollment.