Abstract
BackgroundMigration of non-Western women into Western countries often results in an increase in smoking prevalence among migrant women. To gain more insight into how to prevent this increase, we compared psychosocial determinants of smoking between Surinamese women in Suriname and those in the Netherlands.MethodsData were obtained between 2000 and 2004 from two cross-sectional studies, the CVRFO study in Suriname (n = 702) and the SUNSET study in the Netherlands (n = 674). For analyses of determinants, we collected additional data in CVRFO study population (n = 85). Differences between the two groups were analysed by chi-square analyses and logistic regression analyses.ResultsAs was found in other studies among migrant women, more Surinamese migrant women in the Netherlands smoked (31%) than women in Suriname (16%). More Surinamese women in the Netherlands than in Suriname had a positive affective and cognitive attitude towards smoking (OR = 2.6 (95%CI 1.05;6.39) and OR = 3.3 (95%CI 1.31;8.41)). They perceived a positive norm within their partners and friends regarding smoking more frequently (OR = 6.5 (95%CI 2.7;15.6) and OR = 3.3 (95%CI 1.50;7.25)).ConclusionMigrant women are more positive towards smoking and perceived a more positive norm towards smoking when compared with women in the country of origin. Interventions targeted at the psychosocial determinants regarding smoking for newly migrated women, in particular the consequences of smoking and the norm towards smoking might help to prevent an increase in smoking in those populations.
Highlights
Migration of non-Western women into Western countries often results in an increase in smoking prevalence among migrant women
In the Netherlands, the prevalence of migrant Surinamese smokers was twice of that in Suriname; 30.9% of the Surinamese migrant women smoked in the Netherlands compared to 15.5% in Suriname
The educational level of these smokers was higher in the sample from the SUNSET study than in the women in the Surinamese sample; in particular, relatively more women in the Netherlands had a lower
Summary
Migration of non-Western women into Western countries often results in an increase in smoking prevalence among migrant women. To gain more insight into how to prevent this increase, we compared psychosocial determinants of smoking between Surinamese women in Suriname and those in the Netherlands. A multitude of determinants underlie smoking behaviour These include broader contextual issues, socioeconomic inequalities compared to host populations, psychosocial aspects such as stress, hardship and discrimination, all of which are known to contribute to health inequalities. Socio-cultural factors governing attitudes towards smoking and the process of acculturation to a ‘Western’ environment are relevant [4,5,6,7,8,9] These processes and their interaction often imply a change in smoking behaviour after migration. People from Surinam (who consist mainly of people with a South Asian or African background) comprise the second largest migrant population in the Netherlands and there are indications that the smoking prevalence is higher in the Netherlands compared to the country of origin [3,14]
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