Tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel: findings from a nationwide study.

Objective: This comprehensive study focuses exclusively on adult Arabs in Israel and is aimed at examining tobacco and alcohol use rates and their predictors.

Methods: One thousand and two hundred Arab adults were randomly sampled via cluster sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

Results: Forty-four per cent of respondents reported tobacco use while 39% reported alcohol use. There were notable gender gaps in use, as well as differences between Muslims and Christians. Odds of using both tobacco and alcohol increased with having a greater tendency towards risk-taking and more time spent partying. Odds of alcohol use also increased with having positive attitudes towards use, lower perceived risk and greater intention to use.

Conclusions: These findings add a more complete understanding to the phenomenon of tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel and carry important implications for future research and practice.