Socioeconomic Trends in Adolescent Smoking in Finland From 2000 to 2015

Abstract

Smoking is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the past decades, the prevalence of adolescent smoking has decreased in industrial countries. However, whether the decreasing trend can be seen across all socioeconomic groups is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine time trends in adolescent smoking according to the socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents between 2000 and 2015. Methods: A population-based school survey was conducted biennially among 14-to 16-year-old Finns between 2000 and 2015 (n ¼ 761,278). Distributions for frequent smoking, lifelong nonsmoking, and socioeconomic adversities (low parental education, not living with both parents and parental unemployment during the past year) were calculated. Associations were studied using binomial logistic regression results shown by odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Frequent smoking was positively associated and lifelong nonsmoking was negatively associated with socioeconomic adversities. Over the study period, the overall prevalence of frequent smoking decreased and lifelong nonsmoking increased. However, no similar changes were observed among adolescents with most socioeconomic adversities. Conclusion: Socioeconomic differences in adolescent smoking increased in Finland between 2000 and 2015. Although the overall prevalence of frequent smoking decreased, no similar decrease was observed among adolescents with most socioeconomic adversities. Similarly, although the overall prevalence of lifelong nonsmoking increased, this was not observed among adolescents with most socioeconomic adversities. Socioeconomic adversities should be considered in the prevention of adolescent smoking.

Time trends of socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent smoking in Okinawa, Japan, 2008–2016: a repeated cross-sectional study

“…Our findings were partly consistent with a Slovak study [ 14 ] that found that the socioeconomic differences in smoking for parental education decreased among boys and increased among girls over time. However, some previous studies showed that time trends in smoking differences between familial SES groups have persisted or increased over time [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 20 ].…”

“…A Finnish study created a cumulative socioeconomic adversity variable which combined parental education, parental unemployment, and family structure and showed that the overall prevalence of adolescent smoking decreased between 2000 and 2015. However, no similar changes were observed among adolescents with most socioeconomic adversities, which resulted in the increased relative socioeconomic differences over time [ 11 ]. On the other hand, a German study which assessed parental SES (family affluence) and student’s own SES (school type) found that both socioeconomic differences in adolescent smoking remained unchanged between 1994 and 2002 [ 13 ].…”

“…Parental education and family structure are familial SES indicators and school type reflects the adolescent’s own SES [ 13 , 20 ]. Each SES indicator was associated with adolescent smoking in previous studies [ 9 , 11 – 14 , 20 ]. The poverty rate in two-adult households with at least one child in Japan was 10.7%, while that in single-adult households with at least one child was 50.8% in 2015 [ 18 , 21 ].…”

Determinan Perilaku Merokok Pada Remaja Pria: Literatur Review

“…Trend merokok pada remaja menjadi masalah Internasional, akibat yang dapat ditimbulkan dari rokok menjadi penyumbang peningkatan kematian di dunia (Knaappila, Marttunen, Fröjd, Lindberg, & Kaltiala-Heino, 2019). Kasus merokok banyak dijumpai di negara menengah atas dan berpenghasilan rendah, salah satunya Indonesia (WHO, 2017).…”

Changes over time in mental health symptoms among adolescents in Tampere, Finland

“…To keep track of mental health in the population and to monitor the effectiveness of interventions on mental health disorders, data on the time trends of these disorders are needed. According to time trend studies in the 2000s and 2010s, mental health problems among Finnish adolescents have not increased (15)(16)(17)(18)(19). Instead, the demand for mental health services, especially for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, has recently increased among adolescents.…”