Tobacco smoking patterns in Samoa in 2010: Implications for interventions

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Tobacco use in Samoa has been described over time by age, sex and education, but little work exists on other sociodemographic factors associated with tobacco use. We describe current smoking and daily tobacco use in adults from Samoa, with a focus on sex and age stratified analyses of the influence of occupation, education, census region, household asset ownership and alcohol use in order to help develop potential targeted interventions. METHODS In 2010, a nationwide survey of 3745 adults aged 25-65 years from 33 villages was completed in Samoa. Current smoking status, daily tobacco use, as well as current alcohol use, and a variety of sociodemographic factors were assessed by interview. Bivariate and multivariable models, and sex and age group stratified analyses, were performed to determine different patterns of correlates. RESULTS More than half of all men (51.3%) and 21.8% of women were current tobacco smokers. Men and women smoked on average 10.9 and 8.7 cigarettes/ day, respectively. Twenty per cent of men consumed ≥20 cigarettes/day. In men, being married, a subsistence-farmer/laborer, an alcohol user, and having low household assets, were independently associated with being a tobacco smoker (all p<0.01). Among women, not completing secondary education, being 25-34 years, residing in urban Apia, and being an alcohol user, were independently associated with being a tobacco smoker (all p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Tobacco use in Samoa remains high and correlates of smoking suggest that interventions for cessation need to be developed within the contexts of sex, age, education, and household socioeconomic status.

Tobacco smoking initiation among students in Samoa and health concerns

“…This study examines the behavioural factors that contribute to the adaptation of cigarette smoking by school students in the South Pacific Islands of Samoa. In Samoa, each year more than 165 people die due to tobacco-related diseases and more than 27,700 adults continue to smoke [11,12]. The prevalence of widespread tobacco smoking among the students in Samoa, make Samoa an ideal case study in the PICs.…”

Associations between fasting glucose rate-of-change and the missense variant, rs373863828, in an adult Samoan cohort

“…Questionnaire data from the 2010 study used here included: demographic characteristics (age, sex, census region), health history (self-report of diabetes based on receiving a prior diagnosis from a physician and medication use), household socioeconomic position (measured using a twelve-item household assets inventory), current cigarette smoking [ 19 ], and a dichotomous measure of whether participants meet WHO weekly recommendations for physical activity (assessed via the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire [GPAQ]) [ 20 ]. An additive household asset score was calculated based on ownership of the following twelve items: refrigerator, freezer, portable stereo, TV, VCR, couch, washing machine, phone, car, house, plumbing and stove [ 21 ].…”

“…The high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among Pacific Islander populations is exemplified in Samoa, an independent Polynesian island nation with a population of approximately 203,774 [4]. In 2013 (the most recent available national data), the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Samoa was 19.6% among adult men (having increased from 1.2% in 1978) and 19.5% among adult women (from 2.2% in 1978) [5]. A leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity prevalence [Body Mass Index (BMI) � 30 kg/m 2 ] was also found to have increased from 27.7% to 53.1% among adult men, and 44.4% to 76.7% among adult women between 1978 and 2013 [5].…”