Tobacco use in sub-Sahara Africa: Estimates from the demographic health surveys

Abstract

Despite the growing problem of global tobacco use, accurate information on the prevalence and patterns in the world's poorest nations remains sparse. For sub-Sahara Africa, in particular, a weak knowledge base limits the targeting of strategies to combat the potential growth of tobacco use and its harmful effect on future mortality. To describe the prevalence and social patterns of the use of cigarettes and other tobacco in Africa, this study examines population-based data from 16 Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) of men aged 15-54 years and women aged 15-49 years in 14 nations. Descriptive statistics show the highest cigarette use among men in several nations of east central Africa and Madagascar, lowest use in nations of west central Africa, and medium use in nations of southern Africa. Multinomial logistic regression results for men show highest cigarette use among urban, less educated, and lower status workers. Results for women show much lower prevalence than men but similar social patterns of use. The DHS results thus give new and comparable information about tobacco use in low-income nations, disadvantaged social groups, and an understudied region of the world.

Prevalence and factors associated with tobacco use among adults attending selected healthcare facilities in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

“…Ghana has been reported to have the lowest rate of tobacco use in Africa. 38 More than half (64.4%) of the smokers in this study were low-rate smokers (consuming fewer than five cigarettes per day). Smoking initiation of tobacco use in this study was 18.3 ± 5.1 years and 22.6 ± 8.0 years for male and female, respectively.…”

Socioeconomic Patterning in Tobacco Use in Argentina, 2005

“…However, some of these laws are weak, with allowances low-income countries. Work in Asia and Africa generally shows that higher SEP is associated with less current smoking (Hoang, Byass, Dao, Nguyen, and Wall, 2007;Pampel, 2008;Pappas, Akhtar, Gergen, Hadden, and Khan, 2001), except in rural areas in Pakistan and India where there was no socioeconomic patterning (Pappas et al;Singh et al, 1997). In Latin America, a study of adults 60 years and older in seven cities in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1999-2000 reported that higher education was associated with less current smoking for men and showed no gradient for women (Kim et al, 2007).…”

Impact of Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity, and Urbanization on Risk Factor Profiles of Cardiovascular Disease in Africa

“…The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control legislates protection from tobacco smoke exposure; the packaging and labeling of tobacco products; and the advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products. Pampel 27 examined data on tobacco use among men (age, 15-54 years) and women (age, 15-49 years) from 16 demographic health surveys in 14 Sub-Saharan countries. According to Pampel's analysis, the gradation of the prevalence of cigarette smoking increases from among West-Central African men (lowest use) to southern African men (medium use) and then to men from Madagascar and East-Central Africa (highest use).…”