Socioeconomic inequalities in youth smoking in Brazil

Abstract

ObjectiveThe contribution of smoking to socioeconomic inequalities in health is increasing worldwide, including in Brazil. Youth smoking may play an important role in the increasing social inequalities related to smoking. This study investigates social determinants of smoking among 15-year-old to 19-year-old individuals.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThe study uses data of 3536 participants aged 15–19 years of age of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and the National Household Sample Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostragem de Domicilio, PNAD) obtained from household interviews. Smoking was defined as currently smoking tobacco products, regardless of frequency. Household socioeconomic indicators included per capita income, the educational level and sex of the head of the household, the presence of smoking restrictions and the number of smokers (excluding adolescents). Adolescent social factors included years of delaying school and social status (full-time student, working, and neither working nor studying). The hierarchical logistic regression analysis considered the effect of the complex sampling design.ResultsFrom 3536 participants, 6.2% were smokers (95% CI 5.4 to 7.1). More men than women had the habit of smoking (7.2%; 5.9 to 8.6 vs 3.6%; 2.7 to 4.6). The likelihood of smoking was significantly greater for men and older teens. There was an upward trend in the OR of smoking according to the number of smokers in the house. Adolescents living in households with no smoking restrictions had a greater likelihood of being smokers. OR of smoking rose as the number of years of delaying school increased, being about three times greater among adolescents who were working and five times greater among those who were neither studying nor working.ConclusionsResults demonstrate that socioeconomic inequality in smoking is established at younger ages and that school delay as well as school abandonment may contribute to increased smoking-related inequalities. Smoking restrictions at home were protective against adolescents becoming smokers. Living with other smokers was a strong predictor of adolescents becoming smokers.

Desigualdades socioeconómicas no tabagismo em jovens dos 15 aos 17 anos

“…Também o ESE familiar não foi associado com o consumo de tabaco na adolescência. Outros estudos encontram os mesmos resultados 31 . O ESE familiar é importante no início da vida da criança.…”

“…À medida que o adolescente se aproxima da vida adulta, o ESE próprio toma maior relevância. As desigualdades socioeconómicas são mais evidentes no início dos «vintes» 16,31 .…”

Posição socioeconômica no curso de vida e comportamentos de risco relacionados à saúde: ELSA-Brasil

“…As seguintes variáveis foram utilizadas como covariáveis: sexo, idade em faixas etárias (35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54), 55-64, 65-74 anos) e raça/cor autodeclarada (branca, parda, preta, amarela e indígena).…”

“…Como o contágio pela exposição familiar é um componente importante da propagação do tabagismo, e os participantes do ELSA-Brasil nasceram em uma época em que este hábito era mais prevalente entre mulheres de posição socioeconômica mais alta, acreditamos que isto pode explicar a menor chance de tabagismo atual e passado entre participantes com mães de menor escolaridade. Assim, é possível que a menor prevalência de tabagismo em mães de menor escolaridade tenha influenciado este comportamento protetor, uma vez que crescer em um ambiente livre de tabaco está associado à menor probabilidade de tabagismo na vida adulta 12,43 .…”

Exposição ao cigarro em telenovelas e filmes: tentativas de parar de fumar e abstinência

“…Engaging family or household members in creating a smoke-free environment is one of the most effective means of reducing smoking 35,39,40,41,42 .…”