Tobacco consumption in Mozambique in 2005 and 2015

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionThe burden related to smoking exposure is growing in many low‐income settings. We aimed to quantify the use of smoked and smokeless tobacco in Mozambique in 2014/2015, and to compare the estimates with those obtained in 2005.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted in 2014/2015 on a representative sample of the Mozambican population aged 15 to 64 years, following the World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS). Prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals were computed for different categories of tobacco consumption. The age‐standardised prevalence in the age‐group 25–64 years was compared with results from a STEPS survey conducted in 2005.ResultsBetween 2005 and 2014/2015, the prevalence of daily smoking decreased from 9.1% to 3.4% (p < 0.05) in women and from 33.6% to 27.3% (p < 0.05) in men. There was a significant decrease in the daily consumption of hand‐rolled cigarettes among women (from 3.1% to 1.4%, p < 0.05). Among men, there was a decrease in the prevalence of daily consumption of smokeless tobacco (from 3.5% to 1.0%, p < 0.05). In 2014/2015, both manufactured and hand‐rolled cigarette consumption were more prevalent among men, while the use of smokeless tobacco was more common among women; the consumption of both hand‐rolled cigarettes and smokeless tobacco were more prevalent in rural settings.Discussion and ConclusionsIn Mozambique, there was a decrease in the prevalence of daily smokers in both genders and of daily consumption of smokeless tobacco among men between 2005 and 2014/2015. Efforts are needed to maintain the positive trends.