Tob Control 2000;9:310-312 ( Autumn )

Smoke intake among smokers is higher in lower socioeconomic groups

Martin Bobak^a, Martin J Jarvis^b, Zdenka Skodova^c, Michael Marmot^a

^a International Centre for Health and Society, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK, ^b ICRF Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, ^c Department of Preventive Cardiology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

Correspondence to: Dr Martin Bobak, International Centre for Health and Society, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK; martinb{at}public-health.ucl.ac.uk

Received 23 July 1999; Revision received 25 November 1999; Accepted 6 March 1999

OBJECTIVETo analyse socioeconomic differences in serum thiocyanate concentrations among current smokers, and whether such differences persist after adjustment for the number of cigarettes smoked.
SETTINGGeneral population of six districts of the Czech Republic in 1992.
PARTICIPANTS451 male and 282 female current smokers.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESerum concentration of thiocyanate.
RESULTSThere was a clear educational gradient in serum thiocyanate among male smokers; car ownership and crowding were not related to thiocyanate. Age adjusted mean concentrations in men with primary, vocational, secondary, and university education were 168.6, 158.2, 148.2, and 141.8 µmol/l, respectively (p for trend 0.032). Adjustment for the average daily number of cigarettes explained a part of this gradient. Socioeconomic differences in serum thiocyanate were not seen in women.
CONCLUSIONThe strong gradient in men suggests that smokers from lower socioeconomic groups have a preference for higher smoke intake and so may be more nicotine dependent. This finding, if confirmed, would have important implications for anti-smoking programmes.


Keywords: socioeconomic groups; serum thiocyanate; smoke intake

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© 2000 by Tobacco Control
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