Tobacco use in shisha: Studies on waterpipe smoking

2.6 Limitations of the study and recommendations
This study on tobacco habits accompanied another survey with a different health focus.
Relatively few questions were asked about smok<strong>in</strong>g, and therefore it is not possible to look <strong>in</strong>
depth at important issues such as addiction, motivat<strong>in</strong>g factors, beliefs, or quitt<strong>in</strong>g behaviour.
This survey <strong>in</strong>vestigated only current smok<strong>in</strong>g status; former smok<strong>in</strong>g patterns were not
identified. Also, the cross-sectional design is <strong>use</strong>ful for focus<strong>in</strong>g on associations of <strong>in</strong>terest that
can be further studied <strong>in</strong> the future.
Among the contributions of this survey to exist<strong>in</strong>g knowledge of tobacco <strong>use</strong> <strong>in</strong> Egypt
are the associations described above that suggest numerous differences between cigarette <strong>use</strong>rs
and waterpipe <strong>use</strong>rs. It seems clear that, <strong>in</strong> addition to strik<strong>in</strong>g age- and sex-related patterns of
behaviour and morbidity, the two types of tobacco <strong>use</strong>r may differ strongly accord<strong>in</strong>g to various
markers of obesity which may be reflected <strong>in</strong> the pattern of cardiovascular disease associations
with each type of tobacco <strong>use</strong>.
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