Turkish Adolescent Perceptions about the Effects of Water Pipe Smoking on their Health

Background: Consumption of tobacco in the form of a water pipe has recently increased, especially among young people. This study aimed to develop a scale which would be used in order to detect perceptions about the effects of water pipe smoking on health and to test its validity and reliability. Our scale named "a scale of perception about the effects of water pipe smoking on health" was developed in order to detect factors effecting the perception of adolescents about the effects of water pipe smoking on health. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 150 voluntary students in scale development and 750 voluntary students in the study group. Data were collected via a questionnaire prepared by researchers themselves and 5-pont Likert scale for "a scale of perception about the effects of water pipe smoking on health" which was prepared through the literature. Data evaluation was carried out on a computer with SPSS. Results: The findings of the study showed that "a scale of perception about the effects of water pipe smoking on health" was valid and reliable. Total score average of the adolescents participated in the study was $58.5{\pm}1.25$. The mean score of the ones who did not smoke water pipe ($60.1{\pm}11.7$) was higher than the mean score of the ones who smoked water pipe ($51.6{\pm}13.8$), the difference being statistically significant. Conclusions: It is established that "a scale of perception about the effects of water pipe smoking on health" was a reliable and valid measurement tool. It is also found out that individuals who smoked a water pipe had a lower level of perception of water pipe smoking effects on health than their counterparts who did not smoke a water pipe.