Global Adult Tobacco Survey Data as a Tool to Monitor the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Implementation: The Brazilian Case

Abstract

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) was conducted in Brazil to provide data on tobacco use in order to monitor the WHO FCTC implementation in the country. It was carried out in 2008 using an international standardized methodology. The instrument included questions about tobacco use prevalence, cessation, secondhand smoke, knowledge, attitudes, media and advertising. Weighted analysis was used to obtain estimates. A total of 39,425 interviews were conducted. The prevalence of current tobacco use was 17.5%, (22.0%, men; 13.3%, women). The majority of users were smokers (17.2%) and their percentage was higher in rural areas (20.4%) than in urban areas (16.6%). About 20% of individuals reported having been exposed to tobacco smoke in public places. Over 70% of respondents said they had noticed anti-smoking information in several media and around 65% of smokers said they had considered quitting because of warning labels. About 30% of respondents had noticed cigarette advertising at selling points and 96% recognized tobacco use as a risk factor for serious diseases. Data in this report can be used as baseline for evaluation of new tobacco control approaches in Brazil, vis-à-vis WHO FCTC demand reduction measures.

Evolução de indicadores do tabagismo segundo inquéritos de telefone, 2006-2014

“…In the Western world, this initiation was fostered by the tobacco industry in disseminating that it favored gender equality, and to strengthen female emancipation and self-affirmation 20,21,22 . In Brazil this movement was stronger in the 1960s and 1970s, and broadly stimulated by the movie industry 3,23 .…”

“…The literature indicates that low income and schooling are associated with higher tobacco-use prevalences in Brazil 3,23 and in other countries 8 .…”

“…The hazards of tobacco use are broadly documented in global and national studies 1,2,3 . Tobacco is the main risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 63% of the deaths worldwide 1 , and 72% in Brazil 4,5 .…”

“…Therefore, the continuous monitoring of tobacco indicators is essential to support public policies 3 . A good surveillance system should follow tobacco-use indicators, allowing the development of proper policies, measurement of impact effectiveness and, when necessary, the adjustment of the measures 14 .…”

Exposição ao cigarro em telenovelas e filmes: tentativas de parar de fumar e abstinência

“…The negative association between being a former smoker and noticing smoking imagery in telenovelas differs from the positive association between attempts to quit and noticing smoking imagery for current smokers. Other potential limitations to the data include self-reporting, recall, and survival biases 9,63 . Classification errors leading to residual confounding may also have influenced the associations described 64 .…”