Smoking habits among Swedish dental hygienists: a 15‐year perspective (1987–2002)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore the smoking habits of Swedish dental hygienists over a 15-year period from 1987 through 2002, and compare these with the smoking habits of Swedish women in general during the same period. Random samples of dental hygienists in the age range 20-65 years representing 95% of the Swedish work force were collected based on professional membership. Smoking prevalence data for Swedish women in the general population were retrieved from national statistics. The overall prevalence of current smokers among dental hygienists was 14.9%, 13.4% and 11.2% in 1994, 1998 and 2002, respectively, suggesting a slight decline during the period. The corresponding prevalence for Swedish women in general was 28.2%, 24.8% and 20.9% respectively. The observations indicate a considerably lower prevalence for dental hygienists than for women in general. For Metropolitan areas, the prevalence of current smokers among dental hygienists was 25.3%, 18.1%, 14.9% and 15.6% in 1987, 1994, 1998 and 2002, respectively, compared with 32.4%, 28.1%, 22.8% and 20.0%, respectively, of Swedish women in general, confirming a lower prevalence among dental hygienists. A vast majority of dental hygienists smokers consented to smoke a maximum of 10 cigarettes per day; a consumption that remained stable over the years studied. The prevalence of current smokers among Swedish dental hygienists was considerably lower than the corresponding prevalence among Swedish women in general during the years 1987 through 2002. A continuous decline in smoking prevalence was observed among dental hygienists as well as among women in general.