Abstract
BackgroundThe WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was shown to effectively lower smoking prevalence in in high income countries, however knowledge for low and middle income settings is sparse. The objective of this study was to describe WHO MPOWER policy measures in thirteen West-African countries and to investigate their correlation with smoking prevalence.MethodsAge-standardized smoking prevalence data and policy measures were collected from various WHO reports. For analysis MPOWER measures from 2008 and 2010, were combined with prevalence data from 2009 and 2011. Multiple linear regression models were set up.ResultsIn West-Africa mean smoking prevalence was approximately 20 % among males and approximately 3 % among females. Policy measures were mostly at a middle or low level. Regression analysis showed that tobacco cessation programs, health warnings on cigarettes, and higher price of cigarettes were negatively correlated with smoking prevalence. Significant effects were observed for only one policy measure (tobacco cessation programs) and only within the male population where smoking prevalence is generally higher.ConclusionsTobacco control policies are enforced at relatively low levels in West-African countries. However, improving tobacco control policy implementation according to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control should assist in the reduction of smoking prevalence in African countries, thereby counteracting pro-smoking initiatives set forth by the tobacco industry.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2562-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was shown to effectively lower smoking prevalence in in high income countries, knowledge for low and middle income settings is sparse
The 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic highlighted that tobacco use kills nearly 6 million people and causes several hundred billion dollars of economic damage worldwide each year [2]
Statistical methods Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the correlation of the different MPOWER measures on smoking prevalence
Summary
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was shown to effectively lower smoking prevalence in in high income countries, knowledge for low and middle income settings is sparse. Diseases related to tobacco consumption rank among the most preventable causes of deaths and disability among adults in the world today [1]. The 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic highlighted that tobacco use kills nearly 6 million people and causes several hundred billion dollars of economic damage worldwide each year [2]. By the year 2025, the total number of tobacco users is expected to increase further and three times as many people are estimated to die from smoking-related diseases. Guinea with a smoking prevalence of 52 % in 2002 ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest smoking prevalence worldwide, whereas Ghana and Senegal both had significantly lower reported smoking prevalences of
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