Socioeconomic inequality in smoking in low-income and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess the magnitude and pattern of socioeconomic inequality in current smoking in low and middle income countries.

Methods

We used data from the World Health Survey [WHS] in 48 low-income and middle-income countries to estimate the crude prevalence of current smoking according to household wealth quintile. A Poisson regression model with a robust variance was used to generate the Relative Index of Inequality [RII] according to wealth within each of the countries studied.

Results

In males, smoking was disproportionately prevalent in the poor in the majority of countries. In numerous countries the poorest men were over 2.5 times more likely to smoke than the richest men. Socioeconomic inequality in women was more varied showing patterns of both pro-rich a

SUBMITTER: Hosseinpoor AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3430638 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature