Sex-specific trends in smoking prevalence over seven years in different Austrian populations: results of a time-series cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

ObjectivesAim of this study was to examine trends over time in smoking status in men and women, and in subgroups, in Austria, a country with poor smoking regulation policies.Design and participantsTwo cross-sectional surveys (Austrian Health Interview Surveys for 2007 and 2014), each with more than 15 000 participants from the general population, aged ≥15 years.Outcome measuresPrevalence of self-reported daily smoking. ORs for daily smoking in subgroups, presented as results of logistic regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic variables and presence of chronic diseases.ResultsPrevalence of daily cigarette smoking was 26.0% for men in both years, and increased from 19.1% to 22.0% (p<0.001) in women from 2007 to 2014. Smoking prevalence increased especially in female patients with diabetes mellitus (from 9.9% to 16.4%, p=0.005), obesity (from 17.1% to 21.6%, p=0.010) and hypertension (from 11.2% to 14.2%, p=0.010). Smoking prevalence increased significantly in unemployed men (from 43.6% to 57.1%, p<0.001). In women, smoking prevalence increased in those aged 30–64 years (from 21.9% to 26.3%, p<0.001) and 65+ (from 3.9% to 6.2%, p=0.002), with primary (from 17.2% to 24.4%, p<0.001) and secondary education (from 21.4% to 23.4%, p=0.021), and with a European (from 16.6% to 26.1%, p<0.001) and non-European migration background (from 25.0% to 32.8%, p=0.003). In the adjusted analysis for women in 2014, there was a higher likelihood of smoking (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.32, p<0.001) compared with 2007, and for those affected by a chronic disease (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.25, p=0.002).ConclusionsThere has been a remarkable increase in smoking prevalence over the 7-year period in women in Austria, especially for those with chronic diseases, higher age, lower education and a migration background. Better political and clinical efforts are needed to reduce the high tobacco use in Austria.