How has the prevalence of cigarette smoking changed among Australian adults? Trends in smoking prevalence between 1980 and 2001

V White¹, D Hill¹, M Siahpush², I Bobevski¹

¹ Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Control Research Institute, The Cancer Council Victoria, Australia
² VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control, The Cancer Council Victoria, Australia

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
V White, Deputy Director, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Control Research Institute, The Cancer Council Victoria, 1 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, Vic 3053, Australia;
vicki.white{at}cancervic.org.au

Objective: To examine trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking between 1980 and 2001 among several different sociodemographic groups within the Australian population.

Method: National cross sectional surveys conducted by face to face interview every 3 years from 1980. Respondents were classified into five age groups and the occupation of respondents in the workforce were classified into one of upper or lower white collar or upper or lower blue collar.

Main outcome measure: Prevalence of smoking at least weekly.

Results: The prevalence of smoking in 2001 was lower than that found in 1980 and this was true for all sociodemographic groups. Among adults smoking prevalence decreased from 35% in 1980 to 23% in 2001. The differential in smoking prevalence between men and women decreased between 1980 and 2001. Although smoking was more common among younger Australians (<24 years) than older Australians throughout the study, the differential between age groups reduced. For all years except 1980, the proportion of smokers among upper white collar workers was significantly lower than in all other occupation groups.

Conclusion: There had been a continual decline in the prevalence of smoking among the Australian population since 1980. This decline had occurred across both sexes and in all age and occupation groups. Much of the decline in smoking prevalence between 1998 and 2001 was among blue collar worker group.

Keywords: smoking prevalence; adults; trends; Australia

Abbreviations: NDSHS, National Drug Strategy Household Survey; SHS, Smoking and Health Surveys; CATI computer assisted telephone interviews; NTC, National Tobacco Campaign

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Durkin, S. J., Biener, L., Wakefield, M. A. (2009). Effects of Different Types of Antismoking Ads on Reducing Disparities in Smoking Cessation Among Socioeconomic Subgroups. AJPH 99: 2217-2223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Federico, B, Costa, G, Ricciardi, W, Kunst, A E (2009). Educational inequalities in smoking cessation trends in Italy, 1982-2002. Tobacco Control 18: 393-398 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gartner, C E, Barendregt, J J, Hall, W D (2009). Predicting the future prevalence of cigarette smoking in Australia: how low can we go and by when?. Tobacco Control 18: 183-189 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Joshi, R., Jan, S., Wu, Y., MacMahon, S. (2008). Global Inequalities in Access to Cardiovascular Health Care: Our Greatest Challenge. J Am Coll Cardiol 52: 1817-1825 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Andreeva, T. I, Krasovsky, K. S (2007). Changes in smoking prevalence in Ukraine in 2001-5. Tobacco Control 16: 202-206 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Siahpush, M, McNeill, A, Borland, R, Fong, G T (2006). Socioeconomic variations in nicotine dependence, self-efficacy, and intention to quit across four countries: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Tobacco Control 15: iii71-iii75 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hyland, A, Borland, R, Li, Q, Yong, H-H, McNeill, A, Fong, G T, O'Connor, R J, Cummings, K M (2006). Individual-level predictors of cessation behaviours among participants in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Tobacco Control 15: iii83-iii94 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chapman, S (2006). Erectile dysfunction and smoking: subverting tobacco industry images of masculine potency.. Tobacco Control 15: 73-74 [Full Text]  
• Lennon, A., Gallois, C., Owen, N., McDermott, L. (2005). Young Women as Smokers and Nonsmokers: A Qualitative Social Identity Approach. Qual Health Res 15: 1345-1359 [Abstract]  
• Muir, M. (2004). Hygieia. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 58: 1056-1056 [Full Text]  
• Chapman, S (2003). "We are anxious to remain anonymous": the use of third party scientific and medical consultants by the Australian tobacco industry, 1969 to 1979. Tobacco Control 12: iii31-37 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wakefield, M, Freeman, J, Donovan, R (2003). Recall and response of smokers and recent quitters to the Australian National Tobacco Campaign. Tobacco Control 12: ii15-22 [Abstract] [Full Text]