Jean-François Etter1. 1. Institute of social and preventive medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Jean-Francois.Etter@unige.ch
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess change between 1996 and 2006 in smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, quit attempts, motivation to quit and advice received from physicians in Geneva, Switzerland. METHODS: Postal surveys in cross-sectional, representative samples of the general population of Geneva in 1996 and 2006. RESULTS: There were 742 participants in 1996 (response rate 75%) and 1487 in 2006 (response rate 76%). Smoking prevalence remained stable between 1996 (28.0%, 95% confidence interval: 24.7 to 31.3%) and 2006 (26.5%, 24.3 to 28.7%, p=0.46). Among smokers, cigarette consumption fell from 15 to 13 cig./day between 1996 and 2006 (p=0.003). However, tobacco dependence, as measured by the Heaviness of Smoking Index, remained stable (mean=1.9 vs. 1.7, p=0.18). The proportion of smokers who made a 24-hour quit attempt in the previous year remained stable (29.2% in 1996, 32.1% in 2006, p=0.52), but more smokers reported that they intended to quit in the next 6 months in 2006 (39.6%) than in 1996 (29.1%, p=0.045). The association between smoking prevalence and income was stronger in 2006 (chi(2)=53.7, p<0.001) than in 1996 (chi(2)=10.9, p=0.012). In 2006 (no change since 1996), few smokers reported that, during their last medical visit, their physician told them to quit smoking (27.3%) or offered them help to quit (13.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Over these 10 years, smoking prevalence, nicotine dependence levels and the frequency of quit attempts remained stable, but smokers' motivation to quit increased. We observed a growing social gap in smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption. Smoking cessation advice was seldom received during medical visits. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVE: To assess change between 1996 and 2006 in smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, quit attempts, motivation to quit and advice received from physicians in Geneva, Switzerland. METHODS: Postal surveys in cross-sectional, representative samples of the general population of Geneva in 1996 and 2006. RESULTS: There were 742 participants in 1996 (response rate 75%) and 1487 in 2006 (response rate 76%). Smoking prevalence remained stable between 1996 (28.0%, 95% confidence interval: 24.7 to 31.3%) and 2006 (26.5%, 24.3 to 28.7%, p=0.46). Among smokers, cigarette consumption fell from 15 to 13 cig./day between 1996 and 2006 (p=0.003). However, tobacco dependence, as measured by the Heaviness of Smoking Index, remained stable (mean=1.9 vs. 1.7, p=0.18). The proportion of smokers who made a 24-hour quit attempt in the previous year remained stable (29.2% in 1996, 32.1% in 2006, p=0.52), but more smokers reported that they intended to quit in the next 6 months in 2006 (39.6%) than in 1996 (29.1%, p=0.045). The association between smoking prevalence and income was stronger in 2006 (chi(2)=53.7, p<0.001) than in 1996 (chi(2)=10.9, p=0.012). In 2006 (no change since 1996), few smokers reported that, during their last medical visit, their physician told them to quit smoking (27.3%) or offered them help to quit (13.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Over these 10 years, smoking prevalence, nicotine dependence levels and the frequency of quit attempts remained stable, but smokers' motivation to quit increased. We observed a growing social gap in smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption. Smoking cessation advice was seldom received during medical visits. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors: Pedro Marques-Vidal; João Melich-Cerveira; Fred Paccaud; Gérard Waeber; Peter Vollenweider; Jacques Cornuz Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-04-13 Impact factor: 3.295