Using Direct Observation to Examine the Relationship between Smoking and Consumption Patterns in a Middle Eastern Food Services Setting

Despite the widespread implementation of tobacco control efforts, tobacco use persists in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), which is projected to experience the smallest decline in worldwide smoking rates. Although researchers have never explicitly examined the relationship between smoking and consumption behaviour, the two phenomena may be interrelated, especially in social settings. Utilising unobtrusive observational research, the current study examines the influence of smoking and social interaction on food and beverage purchases in one specific EMR country, Kuwait. The findings indicate that smokers tend to congregate in larger parties, purchase more items, spend more overall, and exhibit longer dwell time in comparison to their non-smoking counterparts. One explanation is that smoking and social interaction remain entwined in the social and cultural traditions of the region.