Background and Objectives:
Shisha smoking has become a global epidemic despite the declining trend of cigarette smoking. Despite the health risk associated with shisha smoking, there are few studies on shisha smoking in West Africa and none in Senegal. Our study assessed the prevalence and predictors of shisha smoking among youths aged 13-15 years in Senegal.

Methods:
We use the 2020 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data of Senegal covering a sample of 4320 youths 11-17 years. However, we restricted our analysis to youths 13-15 years (n=2524) becasue GYTS is deisgn to be representative of this age cohort. We calculated the weighted prevalence (with 95% confidence intervals) of ever and current smoking of shisha. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with ever current shisha use among youth.

Results:
The prevalence of ever and current use of shisha were 9.8% (CI:7.7-12.3) and 2.2% (CI:1.5-3.1) respectively. More than half of current cigarette smokers ever tried or experimented with shisha smoking (50.5%, CI:36.9-63.9) and 26.6% (CI:15.4-42.0) were current users of shisha. In our fully adjusted models, higher grade (AOR=2.54, 1.25-5.15), gender (AOR=2.15, 95% CI:1.47-3.14), higher pocket money (AOR= 2.92, CI:1.63-5.23), current cigarette smoking (AOR=8.36(3.97-17.65), close friends’ smoking status (AOR= 2.61, CI:1.01-6.73), use of smokeless tobacco (AOR=9.52, CI:4.67-19.37) and exposure to second hand smoke (AOR=1.85, CI:1.22-2.83) were significantly associated with experimentation of shisha. Likewise, higher pocket money, current cigarette smoking, exposure to second and parents’ smoking status were significantly associated with current use of shisha.

Conclusion:
Our findings suggest shisha is being sold/served to youths in Senegal despite laws prohibiting the importation, distribution, and sale of shisha in the country. The Senegalese government should make more efforts in implementing tobacco control laws that protect them.