Orna Baron-Epel1, Amalia Haviv-Messika. 1. The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies, University of Haifa, Israel. ornaepel@research.haifa.ac.il
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The age at which the individual begins smoking may influence the health of smokers at an older age. Cultural and social factors effect the age of smoking initiation. METHODS: A cross-sectional national survey of a random sample of 6,021 Israeli residents over the age of 21 were interviewed by telephone. The sample consisted of 4248 Jews, 858 Arabs and 915 immigrants, 856 of them were from the former Soviet Union. RESULTS: Compared to the Jewish population the Jews who immigrated from the former Soviet Union began smoking at an earlier age and the Arabs started smoking at an older age. The young respondents in all ethnic groups reported starting to smoke at a younger age compared to the older respondents, and there was a decrease in smoking initiation at an older age. Father smoking during childhood predicted earlier age of smoking initiation but not mother or sibling smoking, significantly among Jews and immigrants and non-significantly among Arabs. CONCLUSIONS: Age of smoking initiation is dependent on the ethnic background in which the smokers grow up, however, the influence of the father smoking seems to be similar in all population groups. It seems that a higher percentage of young adults started smoking at an early age and there is a decrease in smoking initiation at older ages in all ethnic groups.
BACKGROUND: The age at which the individual begins smoking may influence the health of smokers at an older age. Cultural and social factors effect the age of smoking initiation. METHODS: A cross-sectional national survey of a random sample of 6,021 Israeli residents over the age of 21 were interviewed by telephone. The sample consisted of 4248 Jews, 858 Arabs and 915 immigrants, 856 of them were from the former Soviet Union. RESULTS: Compared to the Jewish population the Jews who immigrated from the former Soviet Union began smoking at an earlier age and the Arabs started smoking at an older age. The young respondents in all ethnic groups reported starting to smoke at a younger age compared to the older respondents, and there was a decrease in smoking initiation at an older age. Father smoking during childhood predicted earlier age of smoking initiation but not mother or sibling smoking, significantly among Jews and immigrants and non-significantly among Arabs. CONCLUSIONS: Age of smoking initiation is dependent on the ethnic background in which the smokers grow up, however, the influence of the father smoking seems to be similar in all population groups. It seems that a higher percentage of young adults started smoking at an early age and there is a decrease in smoking initiation at older ages in all ethnic groups.
Authors: Lisa Dierker; Jianping He; Amanda Kalaydjian; Joel Swendsen; Louisa Degenhardt; Meyer Glantz; Kevin Conway; James Anthony; Wai Tat Chiu; Nancy A Sampson; Ronald Kessler; Kathleen Merikangas Journal: Ann Behav Med Date: 2008-08-13
Authors: Raghib Ali; Tom Loney; Mohammed Al-Houqani; Iain Blair; Faisal Aziz; Salma Al Dhaheri; Iffat El Barazi; Elpidoforos S Soteriades; Syed M Shah Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2020-05-30 Impact factor: 3.295