Gender differences and trends of attitude toward smoking and diet behavior in population aged 25-64 years from 1988 to 2017

Abstract

The aim: To determine gender differences in the dynamic of attitude toward smoking and diet behavior in an open population of 25-64 years over a long-term period - 29 years in Russia / Siberia (Novosibirsk). Methods: Within the framework of the screening in 1988-89 under the WHO MONICA-psychosocial (MOPSY) program (n=1676, 49.5% males, mean age 44.1±0.4 years), MOPSY screening in 1994-95 (n=1527, 43% males, mean age 44.85 ± 0.4 years), in 2003-2005 under the international project HAPIEE (n=1650, 34.9% males, mean age 54.25±0.2 years), in 2013-2016 (n=975, 43.8% males, mean age 34.5±0,4 years) and 2016-2017 (n=663, 41.3% years 51.95±0.32 years) within the framework of the budgetary theme No. AAAA-A17-117112850280-2, random representative samples of men and women in one of districts in Novosibirsk were examined. Smoking status and diet behavior assessed by questionnaire proposed by MONICA-MOPSY protocol. Results: The proportion of men who ever smoked was extremely high (80%) in the general population of 25-64 years and remained unchanged in the period 1988-2003 but began to decrease in 2013, first in the younger age groups and in 2016- 2017 in the older age groups. Despite the fact that there are significantly fewer female smokers, the proportion of female smokers began to increase in 1994, firstly in younger age groups and by 2003-05 in older age groups. Men of younger age groups more often than women tried unsuccessfully to give up a harmful habit. But in 2013-2016, the proportion of those who quit smoking increased to 25-29%. Men were 1.5-2 times more likely than women to report that they did not need to follow a diet. The number of those adhering to the diet, despite the increase in 2013-17, on average did not exceed 10% during 29 years of observation. Diet men were absent in the younger age group in 1988; but in the 45-54 age group their number reached a maximum of 17.1% in 2016-17, overtaking women in this indicator. The proportion of unsuccessful dietary attempts was higher among women in all age groups. The gender gap in the frequency of failed attempts to follow a diet has been growing since 2003. And in 2013-16, more than half of the male and 2/3 of the female population were unsuccessful in trying to adhere to the diet. Conclusions: There was a trend towards a decrease in smoking among men and, at the same time, a decrease in the proportion of women who never smoked in the period from 1994 to 2017. More than half of the male population and 2/3 of the female population were unsuccessful in trying to adhere to the diet, so the proportion of those following the diet did not exceed 10% during 29 years of observation.