[The sociodemographic determinants of the tobacco habit and its cessation in the population of Cornellà de Llobregat]

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between socio-demographic factors and smoking status in a population of Barcelona metropolitan area.

Methods: The study included 2,074 questionnaires from the health interview survey carried out in a representative sample of Cornellà during december 1993-november 1994. Only questionnaires of respondents older than 15 were included. A politomic logistic regression was used. Smoking status, classified as never smoker, actual smoker and former smoker, was considered the dependent variable and the sociodemographic factors, the independent variables. Socio-economic status was measured by educational level.

Results: The percentage of smokers in men was 46% while in women was only 22%. In men, the probability of smoking was higher in those men whose educational levels were lower (OR: 2.97); in women, no association was found between smoking and education. Unemployment increased the likelihood of being a smoker in both men and women (OR: 1.80). Women did smoke less than men in all age groups and educational levels except for women aged 15-44 with EGB or higher educational level. Educational level was not a significant factor in quitting smoking in either men or women. For both sexes, the greater the age the more likelihood there was of being an ex-smoker. Quitting was not associated with gender in any age or educational group.

Conclusion: A similar prevalence of smoking in younger women and men of higher educational level suggests that gender differences are diminishing. In men, smoking was associated with educational level. Age is the principal determinant of quitting and neither educational achievement nor gender play a significant role in our study.