HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bobak, M Articles by Marmot, M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bobak, M Articles by Marmot, M Related Collections Smoking Tobacco use (youth) Economics of tobacco use and control

Changes in smoking prevalence in Russia, 1996–2004

¹ UCL International Institute for Society and Health, University College London, London, UK
² European Centre for Health in Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
³ Centre for the Study of Public Policy, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

Correspondence to:
Dr Martin Bobak
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1–19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK; m.bobak{at}ucl.ac.uk

Objectives: In Russia, smoking prevalence has historically been high in men and relatively low in women. Female smoking prevalence is predicted to rise but assessment of changes has been limited by the lack of comparable data. Changes in the prevalence of smoking in Russia between 1996 and 2004, and whether theses changes differed by sociodemographic groups, were investigated.

Design: Repeated national interview surveys in 1996 (731 men and 868 women) and 2004 (727 men and 864 women) aged 18 years or more.

Main outcome measure: Prevalence of current smoking.

Results: The age standardised prevalence of smoking in 1996 and 2004 was 61% and 63%, respectively in men and 15% and 16%, respectively in women (both p values > 0.4). In men, the prevalence of smoking seemed to decline in those with university education (from 51% to 40%, p = 0.085). Among women, smoking appeared to increase in those with university education (from 10% to 17%, p = 0.071) and low levels of self-reported material deprivation (from 11% to 18%, p = 0.053). There was a pronounced increase in prevalence among women living in villages (from 8% to 14%, p = 0.049); the strong urban/rural gradient seen in 1996 became considerably weaker by 2004.

Conclusions: Overall smoking prevalence in both men and women in Russia remained stable between 1996 and 2004 but, given the sample size, a moderate increase in female smoking cannot be ruled out. In men, smoking increased among the least educated and declined in the most educated. In women the opposite appeared to occur, in addition to an increase in smoking in rural areas. More long term monitoring of smoking patterns in Russia, especially among women, using sufficiently large surveys, is required.

Keywords: Russia; smoking; socioeconomic; trends

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. T. Hugg, M. S. Jaakkola, R. O. Ruotsalainen, V. J. Pushkarev, and J. J.K. Jaakkola Parental smoking behaviour and effects of tobacco smoke on children's health in Finland and Russia Eur J Public Health, February 1, 2008; 18(1): 55 - 62. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Leinsalu, M. Tekkel, and A. E. Kunst Social determinants of ever initiating smoking differ from those of quitting: a cross-sectional study in Estonia Eur J Public Health, December 1, 2007; 17(6): 572 - 578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Perlman, M. Bobak, A. Gilmore, and M. McKee Trends in the prevalence of smoking in Russia during the transition to a market economy Tob. Control, October 1, 2007; 16(5): 299 - 305. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. I Andreeva and K. S Krasovsky Changes in smoking prevalence in Ukraine in 2001-5 Tob. Control, June 1, 2007; 16(3): 202 - 206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]