Abstract
Smoking does not affect every socioeconomic subgroup of the population equally, resulting in major inequalities in terms of smoking-related morbidity and mortality. While previous studies mainly focused on inequalities in smoking prevalence, we have analysed the socioeconomic dimensions that might be associated with two other smoking-related outcomes: the odds of successfully quitting and the duration of abstinence. Using nationally representative Swiss data, we found evidence of a socioeconomic gradient in successful cessation and abstinence duration with respect to education level and income for both men and women.
Highlights
In Switzerland, we have observed a sharp decline in smoking prevalence from 33% in 1997 to 28%in 2007 (these prevalence rates refer to the proportion of smokers in the Swiss population aged 15 and over)
We investigated the following research questions: (1) Which aspects of social position are the strongest predictors of successful cessation? (2) Which socioeconomic factors influence the time before relapse? (3) Do the socioeconomic determinants of successful cessation and abstinence duration differ between men and women?
Socioeconomic inequalities in smoking were extensively documented, a large part of the studies focused on the association between one particular socioeconomic dimension—mostly the education level—and smoking prevalence (Schaap and Kunst [13])
Summary
In Switzerland, we have observed a sharp decline in smoking prevalence from 33% in 1997 to 28%in 2007 (these prevalence rates refer to the proportion of smokers (regular and occasional) in the Swiss population aged 15 and over). The last stage is characterised by a decrease in the prevalence of tobacco use for both men and women but an increase in tobacco-related mortality among women due to the lag between tobacco use and tobacco-related mortality. Another important feature of the diffusion of the epidemic is the widening of socioeconomic differences in the context of smoking prevalence. In the early stages of the process, smoking prevalence was higher in upper socioeconomic groups. Today, this trend has reversed, resulting in major socioeconomic inequalities in terms of both smoking prevalence and smoking-related morbidity and mortality
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