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. 2024 Dec 31;17(1):2367415.
doi: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2367415. Epub 2024 Jun 20.

Prevalence and social determinants of smoking among men in Mauritius: a cross-sectional study

Miguel San Sebastián  1 , Tuomilehto Jaakko  2   3   4   5 , Stefan Söderberg  6 , Paul Zimmet  7 , Bhushan Ori  8 , Jaysing Heecharan  9 , Osvaldo Fonseca-Rodríguez  1 , Sudhirsen Kowlessur  9
Affiliations

Prevalence and social determinants of smoking among men in Mauritius: a cross-sectional study

Miguel San Sebastián et al. Glob Health Action. .

Abstract

Background: Mauritius has implemented a range of stringent policies to control smoking and promote public health. Regular monitoring focuses on the prevalence of tobacco use, yet there is a gap in understanding its socio-economic patterns.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of tobacco smoking and to identify the social determinants associated with smoking among men in Mauritius in 2021.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional population-based study conducted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness during 2021. In total, 3622 individuals participated (response rate of 84.1%), of which 1663 were men (45.9%). The study mainly focused on men given the low prevalence of smoking among women. Daily smoking was the outcome and a series of sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors were included as independent variables. Prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated to fulfill the study objective.

Results: The prevalence of smoking among men was 30.4%. People in the 25-34 age group (PR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.12-2.41), those separated, divorced or widowed (PR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.16-2.11), the ethnic groups Muslim-Mauritians (PR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.00-2.89) and Creoles (PR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.16-3.35), and those with secondary (PR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.00-1.67) and primary education (PR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.10-1.98) were statistically significantly associated with daily smoking.

Conclusions: Although a gradual decline in smoking prevalence was observed compared with the previous 2015 survey, the Ministry of Health and Wellness should persist in fortifying its anti-smoking measures and concentrate on crafting tailored interventions aimed at the vulnerable groups identified in this study.

Keywords: Mauritius; Socioeconomic; determinants; men; smoking.

Plain language summary

Main findings: This study found a prevalence of smoking of 30.4% among men in Mauritius, identifying the young population, those not married, the Muslim-Mauritians and Creole ethnic groups and those with secondary and primary education as at-risk groups for smoking.Added knowledge: The study provides updated information on the prevalence of smoking and its distribution among different socioeconomic groups in Mauritius.Global health impact for policy and action: The anti-smoking policies implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness should continue to be strengthened, and specific interventions for the identified at-risk groups be developed. This can serve as a model for other countries with similar socio-economic profiles, aiming to reduce smoking consumption.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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