Shisha Smoke-Free Homes

Hookah or shisha smoking is prevalent among Somali Americans in Minnesota and is used by many parents in the home. Shisha smoking in the home leads to significant secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure for all family members, including children. SHS exposure from shisha is associated with increased rates of several cancers, including lung, bladder, and oral cancers. Interventions that raise awareness about the risks of shisha use and encourage the adoption of smoke-free home rules are promising approaches to reducing SHS exposure from shisha use in the home. However, these interventions have not been adapted to the specific needs and preferences of parents or the Somali American diaspora. This research project is a collaboration between WellShare International (under the direction of Abdillahi Kahin) and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health to do the following.

1. Develop a brief, culturally tailored shisha education and home smoke-free rules intervention to be delivered by community health workers (CHWs). We will conduct four focus groups with Somali parents (n=30-35) and n=10 key informant interviews inclusive of individuals who smoke shisha to characterize parents’ knowledge and attitudes about household shisha use SHS exposure and downstream health effects on their children and to explore implementation influences on a CHW-delivered intervention to reduce shisha SHS in homes. We will then use this information to develop a new intervention for Somali parents.
2. Pilot test the feasibility of the new CHW-delivered intervention to reduce home shisha SHS exposure with n=15 Somali families. Pre-/post-measurements of family members’ (one adult and one child) salivary cotinine levels will be obtained along with a brief pre-/post-survey to characterize household tobacco use and the presence of home smoke-free rules.