Surveys on prevalence of adult cigarette smoking in Zhejiang province in 2013

Abstract

Objective To understand the status of tobacco epidemic among adults in Zhejiang province in 2013. Methods A total of 2 779 residents aged 15-69 years from 15 counties were selected using stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method and surveyed by face to face interview to complete questionnaire. Results The current smoking prevalence was 25.62% among the adults 15 -69 years old in Zhejiang province, 50.88% among males and 0.78% among females. The daily smoking prevalence was 21.85%; 40.56% of the current daily smokers smoked within 30 minutes after waking; 95.19% of current smokers were not willing to quit; 64.04% of all respondents reported someone smoked in their own homes; 67.48% smokers thought they would continue to smoke even if the price of tobacco rises; 21.09% of all respondents saw tobacco AD at shops and on TV; 42.00% of people were aware that smoking could cause stroke, heart attack and lung cancer; 89.69% smokers still believed that low-tar cigarettes were less harmful than regular cigarettes; 73.92% of people agreed with completely no-smoking in public places. Conclusions Male smoking prevalence in Zhejiang remains at a high level, coupled with low rate of quitting, second hand smoke exposure remains a serious issue in household, low awareness of the harms of smoking for people, suggesting that the task of controlling smoking needs to be strengthened. Key words: Tobacco; Adult; Epidemiology