Smoking in the black community of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine tobacco-use and related factors in the black population of the Cape Peninsula. About 52% of the men, but only 8% of the women used tobacco regularly. Men and women who smoked cigarettes, smoked 9.6 and 4.3 cigarettes on average per day, respectively. Although many men smoked, 80% perceived smoking to be harmful to health as did 92% of the women. For women, smoking was inversely related to their level of education, while for men it was directly related to being employed. Smoking was also related to the use of alcohol in both genders. Women below 45 years who had spent less than a third of their lives in the city had lower smoking rates than those who had spent more than a third of their lives in the city. Smoking is one of the most important public health issues facing the black community of the Cape Peninsula.