Abstract
BackgroundEstimating the prevalence of hardcore smoking and identifying linked factors is fundamental to improve planning and implementation of effective tobacco control measures. Given the paucity of data on that topic, we aimed to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with hardcore smoking in Poland.MethodsWe used data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). GATS is a representative, cross-sectional, household based survey conducted in Poland between 2009 and 2010. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations of socio-demographic and smoking related variables with hardcore smoking among daily smokers.ResultsThe prevalence of hardcore smoking was 10.0% (13.0% among men and 7.3% among women) in the whole population of Poland at age 26 years and above. Hardcore smokers constitute 39.9% (41.6% among men and 37.7% among women) of all daily smokers in analyzed age frame. Being older, having started smoking at earlier ages, living in large cities (in women only), being less aware of negative health effects of smoking, having less restrictions on smoking at home was associated with higher risk of being hardcore smoker. Educational attainment and economic activity were not associated with hardcore smoking among daily smokers.ConclusionsHigh prevalence of hardcore smokers may be a grand challenge for curbing non-communicable diseases epidemic in Poland. Our findings should urge policy makers to consider hardcore smoking issues while planning and implementing tobacco control policies. Prevention of smoking uptake, education programs, and strengthening cessation services appeared to be the top priorities.
Highlights
Estimating the prevalence of hardcore smoking and identifying linked factors is fundamental to improve planning and implementation of effective tobacco control measures
The prevalence of hardcore smokers in the general population and among daily smokers found in Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Poland seems to be the highest that has been described in the literature until now [15,17]
It should be highlighted that we examined the prevalence of and factors associated with hardcore smoking in Poland using component construct information available from GATS standard questionnaire, and we may have missed some important characteristics that could have impact on hardcore smoking
Summary
Estimating the prevalence of hardcore smoking and identifying linked factors is fundamental to improve planning and implementation of effective tobacco control measures. The risk of developing tobacco-related diseases increases proportionally with the consumption of tobacco products and the length of the smoking period [1]. The status of the tobacco epidemic smoking prevalence decreases, lighter smokers will quit first, leaving more “hardcore” smokers in the population for whom smoking cessation may be especially difficult [4,5,6]. In some reports the hardening hypothesis is discounted, and there are suggestions that hardening occurs among treatment seekers, and there remains no clear evidence of hardening in the general population [4,5,6,7,8]. Some authors suggest that hardening occurs in the sense that, many of today's smokers possibly do have greater difficulty quitting, or are inherently less willing to do so when compared with earlier generations [9]
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