Smoking prevalence among 20 – 80 years old Han residents in urban and rural regions of Hebei province

  Objective   To examine smoking prevalence among urban and rural Han residents aged 20 – 80 years in Hebei province and to provide evidences for developing tobacco control measures.

  Methods  Using stratified multistage cluster sampling, we recruited 3 835 permanent residents aged 20 – 80 years in urban and rural regions of three municipalities of Hebei province and conducted a face-to-face survey with a self-designed questionnaire during July – September 2017.

  Results   Among the 3 828 participants with valid responses, 894 (23.35%) were current smokers and the current smoking rate differed significantly by gender, age, education, and living region (all P < 0.01). Of the 1 206 former smokers, 312 (25.88%) quitted smoking for 6 months or more and the smoking cessation rate was significantly different among the former smokers of diverse age and with different education (both P < 0.01). The average daily smoking amount for the current smokers was 16.36 ± 10.42 cigarettes and the amount varied significantly by the smokers′ gender, age, education, and living region (all P < 0.01); the average age of smoking initiation of the current smokers was 21.12 ± 6.57 years and the average age was significantly different among the current smokers of different gender and age (both P < 0.01).

  Conclusion   Among adult permanent residents in urban and rural regions of Hebei province, the smoking rate was high but the smoking cessation rate for former smokers was low and the age of smoking initiation was young for current smokers. The study also indicates that the male and rural residents are key populations for tobacco control in the province.