Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of daily cigarette smoking in Poland: results from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2009-2010).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of daily cigarette smoking among adults in Poland.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A nationally representative household study was implemented between 2009 and 2010 to explore smoking pattern among the population aged 15 years and older. The smoking status and socio-demographic data were determined based on the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire. Out of the 14000 households selected for the survey, 7840 sampled persons completed the interviews, including 2162 respondents who declared daily smoking of cigarettes. Logistic regression models were applied to assess factors related to daily cigarette smoking.
RESULTS: Over 33% of men and 21% of women (p < 0.01) reported tobacco smoking on a daily basis. The significantly higher risk of smoking on a daily basis was observed among the male and female 20-59 years of age compared to the 60 or older population (p < 0.05). For men and women with the lower educational (primary/vocational/secondary) level, the risk of smoking was significantly higher than for the subjects with university degree (p < 0.05). The unemployed men smoked daily significantly more frequently than the employed ones (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4-2.4). This association was not observed among women (p > 0.05). The residents of urban areas smoked significantly more frequently than people living in rural settings (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Actions to tackle socio-economic inequalities in smoking need to be intensified. The antismoking efforts should be focused on the population of Poles at large and people with lower educational levels, unemployed men, and residents of large urban settings in particular. The tobacco control interventions should also address the population of women at reproductive age.