Evolution of socioeconomic inequalities in smoking: results from the Portuguese national health interview surveys

Financial incentives to stop smoking: Potential financial consequences of different reward schedules

INTRODUCTION

Financial incentives to stop smoking (FISS) programs have been implemented internationally to encourage people who smoke to quit smoking. However, such programs require that the financial reward structure and its resulting effects on smoking quit rates are considered. We analyzed a number of scenarios for FISS reward schedules for current smoking individuals in Ireland, with a view to identify the potential implications in terms of financial consequences and expected effects.

METHODS

Using national QuitManager services data 2021-2023, we defined smoking quit rates for smokers currently using the national Health Services Executive stop smoking services in Ireland. Smoking quit rates at 4, 12 and 52 weeks were defined, and additionally defined by sex, age and education level. Using scenarios assuming different FISS reward sizes, structures and targeted population sub-groups, we estimated the number of additional quitters, budget impact, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

RESULTS

A FISS program, if implemented for a cohort of 3500 smokers can result in a budget impact ranging €250000 - €870000. The cost-effectiveness trade-off between different payment schedules and the expected effect size suggested that FISS are cost-effective even at a moderate effect size. A FISS program implemented to approximately 20000 smokers nationally would cost between €2.0 million and €4.8 million, subject to the chosen reward schedule. Across social groups, FISS is more cost-effective for females, individuals in the youngest age group, and individuals with a medium level of education.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis highlights the importance of considering different FISS schedules and potential quit effects, when designing such programs. We highlight that FISS programs should be targeted at certain social groups to achieve highest long-term smoking cessation rates. We also identified important challenges that decision-makers face when designing the reward structure of FISS programs. The acceptability or otherwise of the FISS structures may differ among stakeholders and should be explored.

Gender equality and smoking among 15 to 25 year olds-a time-based ecological analysis of developments in Germany from 1960 to 2005

Introduction

Smoking is a major risk factor for premature death and health problems in which there are significant gender differences in the prevalence of smoking. This ecological study examines the correlation between changes in gender equality and prevalence of smoking among young adults (15-25 years old) in Germany over a period of 45 years (1960-2005).

Methods

Gender inequality was measured using the United Nations Gender Inequality Index (GII), which is composed of three dimensions; health, empowerment and labour market. It was calculated for the entire registered German population in five-year intervals with values between 0 and 1 (1 = highest inequality). The smoking prevalence of young women and men in Germany was established using a reconstruction method. A gender smoking ratio (GSR) with values between 0 and 1 was determined (1 = identical smoking prevalence among men and women). The smoking behaviour was illustrated and stratified by education. The correlation between the GII and the GSR was analysed.

Results

The GII decreased from 0.98 to 0.56 between 1960 and 2005. The GSR increased from 0.34 to 0.93. There was a strong negative correlation between the GII and the GSR (r = -0.71). The strength of the correlation fell slightly as the level of education decreased. An increase in gender equality as measured by the GII came along with similarities of smoking prevalence between young women and young men.

Conclusion

Successful tobacco prevention among young women and men may benefit from involving experts in gender-specific public health research to develop counter-advertising and gender-specific information as needed.

Trends in Socio-economic Inequality in Smoking Among Middle-aged and Older Adults in China: Evidence From the 2011 and 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

INTRODUCTION

Socio-economic inequalities in smoking and related health problems are a public health concern worldwide. To support the development of effective tobacco control policies, this study examines trends in smoking rates according to socio-economic status (SES) in China.

AIMS AND METHODS

We analyzed data from repeated cross-sectional China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) on adults aged ≥45 years for the years 2011 and 2018, which involved 16 471 participants in 2011 and 19 367 in 2018. We then estimated the SES of individuals based on four types of wealth-related variables, namely, education, occupation, household characteristics, and durable consumer goods. Principal-component analysis was conducted to measure SES, and the Erreygers normalised concentration index (ECI) was used to calculate socio-economic inequality in current smoking by gender, age, and region.

RESULTS

The overall ECI (95% confidence interval) for women was -0.042 (-0.054 to -0.031) and -0.038 (-0.047 to -0.029) for 2011 and 2018, respectively. The ECI (95% confidence interval) for men was -0.077 (-0.101 to -0.050) and -0.019 (-0.042 to 0.005) for 2011 and 2018, respectively. The inequality in smoking by SES for adults aged < 60 years in the Northeast region increased during 2011-2018, from -0.069 (-0.144 to 0.006) to -0.119 (-0.199 to -0.038) for women and from 0.009 (-0.115 to 0.132) to -0.164 (-0.296 to -0.032) for men.

CONCLUSIONS

smoking inequality by socio-economic among adults aged ≥45 years declined in recent years in China. However, smoking inequality by SES increased in other population groups.

IMPLICATIONS

Our research indicated that socio-economic inequality of current smoking among residents aged 45 years and older declined in 2018 when compared with 2011 numbers, particularly for men aged ≥ 60 years. Women in the Northeast region displayed more significant smoking inequality by SES than women in other regions did. During the study period, there was an increase in inequality in smoking by SES for adults aged < 60 years in the Northeast region. Thus, tobacco control policies and interventions should be targeted at high-risk subpopulations with lower SES, particularly in Northeast China.

Local problem solving in the Portuguese health examination survey: a mixed method study

Background

Participation rates in health surveys, recognized as an important quality dimension, have been declining over the years, which may affect representativeness and confidence in results. The Portuguese national health examination survey INSEF (2015) achieved a participation rate of 43.9%, which is in line with participation rates from other similar health examination surveys. The objective of this article is to describe how local teams of survey personnel conducted the survey, describing strategies used to solve practical survey problems and to try to increase the participation rate.

Methods

After a literature search, informal interviews were conducted with 14 public health officials from local health examination teams, regional and central authorities. Forty-one of the local staff members (survey personnel) also filled in a short questionnaire anonymously. The interviews and self-administered questionnaires were analysed using mixed methods, informed by thematic analysis.

Results

The local teams believed that the detailed manual, described as a “cookbook for making a health examination survey”, made it possible to maintain high scientific standards while allowing for improvising solutions to problems in the local context. The quality of the manual, supported by a series of training workshops with the central research and support team, gave the teams the confidence and knowledge to implement local solutions. Motivation and cohesion within the local teams were among the goals of the training process.

Local teams felt empowered by being given large responsibilities and worked hard to incite people to attend the examination through a close and persuasive approach.

Local teams praised their INSA contacts for being available for assistance throughout the survey, and said they were inspired to try harder to reach participants to please their contacts for interpersonal reasons.

Conclusions

The theory of organizational improvisation or bricolage, which means using limited resources to solve problems, was useful to discuss and understand what took place during INSEF.

A detailed manual covering standard procedures, continuous monitoring of the data collection and face-to-face workshops, including role-play, were vital to assure high scientific standards and high participation rates in this health examination survey. Close contacts between the central team and local focal points in all regions and all survey sites were key to accommodating unexpected challenges and innovative solutions.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Food Consumption: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portuguese Adults

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Food is a major determinant of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Because of this, social inequalities in food consumption will likely produce social inequalities in disease and life expectancy. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> This study analyses the social inequalities in food consumption in Portugal and whether they differ between men and women and between younger and older people. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Following a cross-sectional observational study, we analyzed data from 11,085 individuals aged 25–64 years who participated in the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Logistic regression models were used to measure the association between socioeconomic conditions, i.e., education and income, and food consumption. The analysis was then stratified by sex and age. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A positive gradient for income and education was observed in the consumption of fish, cakes, natural juices, and dairy products. The consumption of legumes and soft drinks was inversely related to income and education. A socioeconomic gradient for fruits and vegetables was observed only among women and older people. Worse-off people consumed less soup, and underprivileged women consumed fewer fast-food products. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The food consumption patterns of Portuguese adults are related to their socioeconomic condition, with few variations across demographic categories.

Change in the Prevalence and Social Patterning of First-and Second-Hand Smoking in PORTUGAL: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study (2005 and 2014)

Between 2005 and 2007, important reinforcements of the tobacco legislation have been implemented in Portugal, which may have affected smoking patterns. The aim of this study was to measure the change in prevalence of first- and second-hand smoking (SHS) among adults, and its socio-demographic patterning in Portugal from 2005 to 2014. Data from the last two Portuguese National Health Interview Surveys (2005 and 2014) were used. The changes in daily smoking and SHS were measured using Poisson regressions, stratifying by sex and survey year. The inequalities were measured using relative inequality indexes (RII). From 2005 to 2014, there was a reduction in SHS (75%-54% among men, and 52%-38% among women), and a reduction in smoking among men (27%-26%), and an increase among women (9%-12%). SHS reduction was more marked among less privileged people. Among Portuguese men, inequalities in daily smoking have increased slightly, while among women the gap favoring low-educated reduced. Between 2005 and 2014, SHS decreased, but not daily smoking, particularly among women. Additionally, socioeconomic inequalities in smoking increased. Future policies should simultaneously tackle smoking and SHS prevalence, and their socioeconomic patterning. More comprehensive policies such as comprehensive national (non-partial) bans, combined with price increases could be more effective.

Do inequalities add up? Intersectional inequalities in smoking by sexual orientation and education among U.S. adults

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Among men, inequalities in cigarette smoking are primarily driven by socio-economic inequalities.

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Among women, inequalities in cigarette smoking are primarily driven by sexual orientation inequalities.

Introduction

Inequalities in smoking by socio-economic status (SES) are well-known. A growing body of literature has demonstrated additional inequalities in smoking by sexual orientation. This study used an intersectional lens to examine smoking at the intersection of sexual orientation and education.

Methods

Data come from 28,362 adult participants in Wave 2 (2014–2015) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. We used educational level (less than high school education (HS); HS or more) and sexual orientation (heterosexual; sexual minority) to form four intersectional positions.

We estimated prevalence differences in smoking corresponding to joint, referent, and excess intersectional inequalities using weighted linear binomial regression models. Results were stratified by gender and adjusted for ethnicity and age.

Results

The adjusted joint inequality represented 7.6% points (p.p.) (95% CI: 2.5, 12.8) difference in smoking between the doubly advantaged (heterosexual with HS or more) and doubly disadvantaged (sexual minority with less than HS) positions. Joint inequality was decomposed into referent SES inequality (12.5 p.p. (95% CI: 10.5, 14.4)); referent sexual orientation inequality (9.7 p.p. (95% CI: 6.8, 12.6)); and a substantial negative excess intersectional inequality (−14.6 p.p. (95% CI: −20.8, −8.3)), attributed to an unexpectedly low prevalence of smoking among doubly disadvantaged persons. Similar overall patterns were found in the stratified analyses.

Conclusions

We found that “doubly-disadvantaged” group of low-educated sexual minority adults did not have the greatest burden of smoking; whereas, low-educated heterosexual adults had the highest smoking prevalence. Our findings support tailoring cessation interventions to disadvantaged groups’ different needs.

Daily tobacco consumption and associated socioeconomic factors in the Portuguese population: National Health Interview Survey data 1987-2014

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Smoking patterns inform tobacco control policies. This study aimed to assess trends in smoking prevalence and associated socioeconomic factors in Portugal between 1987 and 2014.

METHODS

We used data from National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) conducted in 1987, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2005/06 and 2014/15. For each NHIS, we estimated gender-specific and age-standardized smoking prevalences, stratified by education, occupation, marital status and region. We constructed NHIS- and gender-specific logistic regression models, adjusting for the above-mentioned variables. We describe changes in smoking prevalence and inequalities in associated socioeconomic factors between 1987 and 2014.

RESULTS

In men, smoking prevalence (32.2% and 26.7%, respectively) and inequalities for all factors except for education decreased between 1987 and 2014. For women, inequalities decreased for region, age and occupation, and these changes occurred through increasing smoking prevalence in all groups. For marital status and education, inequalities were stable but smoking prevalence increased for all groups within these variables. In both sexes, the unemployed (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2014: men 2.33, women 2.76) and divorced (aOR 2014: men 2.12, women 3.18) consistently had the highest prevalences and aORs of smoking. For the first three NHIS higher aORs of smoking were observed among less-educated men and highly-educated women, while for the last two the higher odds were for the less-educated in both sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking trends among men showed decreasing prevalences and diminishing inequalities. For women, inequalities were stable but there was an overall increase in prevalence. The unemployed and divorced had the highest smoking prevalences in both sexes. Smoking prevention and cessation policies in Portugal should take into consideration inequalities, particularly among men, and increasing consumption among women.

What drives us apart? Decomposing intersectional inequalities in cigarette smoking by education and sexual orientation among U.S. adults

Background

Socio-economic and sexual orientation inequalities in cigarette smoking are well-documented; however, there is a lack of research examining the social processes driving these complex inequalities. Using an intersectional framework, the current study examines key processes contributing to inequalities in smoking between four intersectional groups by education and sexual orientation.

Methods

The sample (28,362 adults) was obtained from Wave 2 (2014–2015) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Four intersectional positions were created by education (high- and low-education) and sexual orientation (heterosexual or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer/questioning (LGBQ). The joint inequality, the referent socio-economic inequality, and the referent sexual orientation inequality in smoking were decomposed by demographic, material, tobacco marketing-related, and psychosocial factors using non-linear Oaxaca decomposition.

Results

Material conditions made the largest contribution to the joint inequality (9.8 percentage points (p.p.), 140.9%), referent socio-economic inequality (10.01 p.p., 128.4%), and referent sexual orientation inequality (4.91 p.p., 59.8%), driven by annual household income. Psychosocial factors made the second largest contributions to the joint inequality (2.12 p.p., 30.3%), referent socio-economic inequality (2.23 p.p., 28.9%), and referent sexual orientation inequality (1.68 p.p., 20.5%). Referent sexual orientation inequality was also explained by marital status (20.3%) and targeted tobacco marketing (11.3%).

Conclusion

The study highlights the pervasive role of material conditions in inequalities in cigarette smoking across multiple dimensions of advantage and disadvantage. This points to the importance of addressing material disadvantage to reduce combined socioeconomic and sexual orientation inequalities in cigarette smoking.

Thirty-eight-year trends of educational differences in smoking in Finland

Objectives

Smoking is declining, but it is unevenly distributed among population groups. Our aim was to examine the socio-economic differences in smoking during 1978–2016 in Finland, a country with a history of strict tobacco control policy.

Methods

Annual population-based random sample data of 25–64-year-olds from 1978 to 2016 (N = 104,315) were used. Response rate varied between 84 and 40%. In addition to logistic regression analysis, absolute and relative educational differences in smoking were examined.

Results

Smoking was more prevalent among the less educated but declined in all educational groups during the study period. Both absolute and relative differences in smoking between the less and highly educated were larger at the end of the study period than at the beginning. Cigarette price seemed to have a larger effect on the smoking among the less educated.

Conclusions

Socio-economic differences in smoking among the Finnish adult population have increased since the 1970s until 2016. Further actions are needed, especially focusing on lower socio-economic positions, to tackle inequalities in health. They should include support for smoking cessation and larger cigarette tax increases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00038-019-01228-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Deprivation-specific life tables using multivariable flexible modelling - trends from 2000-2002 to 2010-2012, Portugal

BACKGROUND

Completing mortality data by information on possible socioeconomic inequalities in mortality is crucial for policy planning. The aim of this study was to build deprivation-specific life tables using the Portuguese version of the European Deprivation Index (EDI) as a measure of area-level socioeconomic deprivation, and to evaluate mortality trends between the periods 2000-2002 and 2010-2012.

METHODS

Statistics Portugal provided the counts of deaths and population by sex, age group, calendar year and area of residence (parish). A socioeconomic deprivation level was assigned to each parish according to the quintile of their national EDI distribution. Death counts were modelled within the generalised linear model framework as a function of age, deprivation level and calendar period. Mortality Rate Ratios (MRR) were estimated to evaluate variations in mortality between deprivation groups and periods.

RESULTS

Life expectancy at birth increased from 74.0 and 80.9 years in 2000-2002, for men and women, respectively, and to 77.6 and 83.8 years in 2010-2012. Yet, life expectancy at birth differed by deprivation, with, compared to least deprived population, a deficit of about 2 (men) and 1 (women) years among most deprived in the whole study period. The higher mortality experienced by most deprived groups at birth (in 2010-2012, mortality rate ratios of 1.74 and 1.29 in men and women, respectively) progressively disappeared with increasing age.

CONCLUSIONS

Persistent differences in mortality and life expectancy were observed according to ecological socioeconomic deprivation. These differences were larger among men and mostly marked at birth for both sexes.

O consumo de tabaco pelos pais e filhos: Um estudo numa escola do interior alentejano

A exposição ao fumo ambiental do tabaco (FAT) representa um risco acrescido para a saúde pública. É nas suas próprias casas que as crianças correm maior risco de exposição ao FAT, em especial quando a mãe ou o pai são fumadores. Este estudo procurou conhecer a prevalência de crianças e jovens de uma escola do interior da região Alentejo expostas ao FAT. Aplicou-se um questionário a uma amostra de 141 alunos. Os resultados revelam que são em menor número os pais que fumam em casa dos alunos mais novos.

The effect of policies regulating tobacco consumption on smoking initiation and cessation in Spain: is it equal across socioeconomic groups?

Background

In Spain, the Law 28/2005, which came into effect on January 2006, was a turning point in smoking regulation and prevention, serving as a guarantee for the progress of future strategies in the direction marked by international organizations. It is expected that this regulatory policy should benefit relatively more to lower socioeconomic groups, thus contributing to a reduction in socioeconomic health inequalities. This research analyzes the effect of tobacco regulation in Spain, under Law 28/2005, on the initiation and cessation of tobacco consumption, and whether this effect has been unequal across distinct socioeconomic levels.

Methods

Micro-data from the National Health Survey in its 2006 and 2011 editions are used (study numbers: 4382 and 5389 respectively; inventory of statistical operations (ISO) code: 54009), with a sample size of approximately 24,000 households divided into 2,000 census areas. This allows individuals’ tobacco consumption records to be reconstructed over five years before the initiation of each survey, as well as identifying those individuals that started or stopped smoking. The methodology is based on “time to event analysis”. Cox’s proportional hazard models are adapted to show the effects of a set of explanatory variables on the conditional probability of change in tobacco consumption: initiation as a daily smoker by young people or the cessation of daily smoking by adults.

Results

Initiation rates among young people went from 25% (95% confidence interval (CI), 23–27) to 19% (95% CI, 17–21) following the implementation of the Law, and the change in cessation rates among smokers was even greater, with rates increasing from 12% (95% CI, 11–13) to 20% (95% CI, 19–21). However, this effect has not been equal by socioeconomic groups as shown by relative risks. Before the regulation policy, social class was not a statistically significant factor in the initiation of daily smoking (p > 0.05); however, following the implementation of the Law, young people belonging to social classes IV-V and VI had a relative risk of starting smoking 63% (p = 0.03) and 82% (p = 0.02) higher than young people of higher social classes I-II. On the other hand, lower social class also means a lower probability of smoking cessation; however, the relative risk of cessation for a smoker belonging to a household of social class VI (compared to classes I-II) went from 24% (p < 0.001) lower before the Law to 33% (p < 0.001) lower following the law’s implementation.

Conclusion

Law 28/2005 has been effective, as after its promulgation there has been a decrease in the rate of smoking initiation among young people and an increase in the rate of cessation among adult smokers. However, this effect has not been equal by socioeconomic groups, favoring relatively more to those individuals belonging to higher social classes.

Social characteristics associated with disparities in smoking rates in Israel

BACKGROUND

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of health disparities. We aimed to determine social characteristics associated with smoking status and age at smoking initiation in the ethnically-diverse population of Israel.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional survey, based on data collected during 2010 by the Israel Bureau of Statistics, in a representative nationwide sample of 7,524 adults (≥20 years). Information collected by personal interviews included a broad set of demographic and socio-economic characteristics and detailed information on smoking habits. Associations between social characteristics and smoking habits were tested in multivariable regression models.

RESULTS

Current smoking was more frequent among men than among women (30.9 % vs. 16.8 %; p < 0.0001). In multivariable regression analysis, the association of some social characteristics with smoking status differed by gender. Lower socioeconomic status (reflected by higher rate of unemployment, lower income, possession of fewer material assets, difficulty to meet living expenses) and lower educational level were significantly associated with current smoking among men but not among women. Family status other than being married was associated with higher likelihood of being a current smoker, while being traditional or observant was associated with a lower likelihood of ever smoking among both gender groups. Arab minority men and male immigrants from the former Soviet Union countries were more frequently current smokers than Israeli-born Jewish men [adjusted odds ratio (95 % confidence interval): 1.53 (1.22, 1.93) and 1.37 (1.01-1.87), respectively]. Compared to Israeli-born men, the age at smoking initiation was younger among male immigrants, and older among Arab minority men [adjusted hazard ratio (95 % confidence interval): 1.360 (1.165-1.586), and 0.849 (0.749-0.962), respectively]. While the prevalence of current smoking was lower in younger birth cohorts, the age at smoking initiation among ever-smokers declined as well.

CONCLUSIONS

Among several subgroups within the Israeli population the smoking uptake is high, e.g. Arab men, men who are less affluent, who have lower educational level, and male immigrants. These subgroups should be prioritized for intervention to reduce the burden of smoking. To be effective, gender, cultural background and socioeconomic characteristics should be considered in the design and implementation of culturally-congruent tobacco control and smoking prevention and cessation interventions.

[Social inequalities in adolescent smoking: A cross-national perspective of the role of individual and macro-structural factors]

BACKGROUND

In an EU-funded project, we examined on the basis of international comparative analyses which factors were associated with and contributed to socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent smoking. This paper presents the results obtained and discusses their implications for policy and research.

METHODS

Analyses were based on the "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)" study in 2006 and included more than 50,000 adolescents from 37 countries. The focus was on the association between family affluence and weekly smoking (regularly, at least once a week) among adolescents. Explanatory variables at the individual level refer to psychosocial resources and burdens of school, family, and peers. At the country level, national income, various tobacco control policies, and an index of external differentiation of the educational system were used.

RESULTS

The psychosocial factors of school and family explained many of the inequalities in the smoking behavior of adolescents. In an international comparison, socioeconomic inequalities in smoking were stronger in richer countries. Absolute smoking rates were lower and inequalities in smoking smaller for boys in countries with higher tobacco prices. On the other hand, educational systems with higher degrees of external differentiation showed lower inequalities in smoking beahviour by girls, and relatively higher rates of smoking (for boys and girls). Stronger inequalities in smoking behaviour were demonstrated in countries with a greater range of preventative measures for tobacco dependence (for boys) and with higher levels of government spending on tobacco control (for girls).

CONCLUSION

Experiences in richer countries revealed that tobacco control needs to be strengthened for socially disadvantaged adolescents. The reduction of smoking prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in smoking behavior should be based not only on a strengthening of psychosocial resources in the family and at school, but also on an increase in tobacco prices.