Tobacco Control
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2006, Pages 385-391

Smoking in immigrants: Do socioeconomic gradients follow the pattern expected from the tobacco epidemic? (Article)

Nierkens V.* , De Vries H. , Stronks K.
  • a Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, Netherlands, Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • b Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
  • c Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

Objectives: Although socioeconomic patterns of smoking across the different stages of the tobacco epidemic have been well researched, less is known about these patterns among immigrant populations. This paper aims to assess the smoking prevalence and its socioeconomic gradients among three immigrant populations. Methods: Three cross-sectional studies, using structured face-to-face interviews, were conducted in three representative (for socioeconomic status) samples of 385 Turkish, 316 Moroccan, and 1072 Surinamese first-generation immigrants aged 35-60 years in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Information gathered included information about smoking behaviour, educational level and background characteristics. The associations between educational level and smoking rates were assessed using logistic regression analyses stratified by age and sex, for each ethnic group separately. Results: The prevalence of smoking differed per group, being highest among Turkish and Surinamese men (63% and 55%, respectively), followed by Moroccan men and Turkish and Surinamese women (30%, 32% and 27%, respectively). Higher smoking rates were found among women with higher educational levels, except for Surinamese women aged 35-44 years. However, among Turkish and Moroccan men aged 35-44 years and Surinamese men, smoking rates were higher in lower socioeconomic groups. Conclusions: The prevalence figures and educational associations suggest that the socioeconomic gradient changes in earlier stages of the epidemic in immigrant populations than in the Western host populations, particularly in men. This provides indications to suggest that smoking prevention measures in male immigrant groups need to be tailored to lower socioeconomic groups in particular throughout the tobacco epidemic, and to higher socioeconomic groups among women.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Netherlands educational status human middle aged statistics Turkey (republic) ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Humans smoking Suriname male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics prevalence Article adult migration Turkey Emigration and Immigration Morocco
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33748572736&doi=10.1136%2ftc.2006.014902&partnerID=40&md5=32d2c72011592401ac26d0cdb8cd82b8
DOI: 10.1136/tc.2006.014902
ISSN: 09644563
Cited by: 48
Original Language: English