Characteristics of smoking intensity and inhalation among urban and rural cigarette smokers in Liaoning province

ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of detailed smoking behavior among urban and rural cigarette smokers in Liaoning province and to provide evidences for smoking control.MethodsThe data of 2 771 smokers were extracted form a stratified random cluster sample of 8 612 urban and rural residents involved in a questionnaire survey on risk factors of non-communicable chronic diseases in Liaoning province in 2009;the length of a cigarette rod smoked and the depth of smoke inhalation during smoking among the smokers were analyzed.ResultsThe prevalence of smoking among the residents was 32.2% and the smoking prevalence of the male residents was significantly higher than that of the female(53.7% vs.11.6% ;χ²=1 746.708,P<0.01).Of the smokers,22.63%,33.63%,and 43.74% reported the number of cigarette smoked per day of <10,10-19,and ≥20;the proportion of the smokers reporting the length of cigarette rod smoked once of <1/2,1/2-3/4,and all of a cigarette were 7.49%,27.76%,and 64.75% ;and the proportion of the smokers reporting almost no inhalation,slight,moderate,and deep inhalation were 8.47%,21.25%,35.41%,and 34.87%,respectively.Compared to the female smokers,the male smokers had higher proportions of consuming cigarettes ≥20 per day(45.99% vs.33.79%),with 1/2-3/4 length of cigarette rod smoke once(28.77% vs.23.33%),and inhaling a lot of cigarette smoke(36.59% vs.27.25%)(all P<0.01).Correlation analysis showed that the amount of cigarette smoked per day associated positively with cigarette rod length smoked once(r=0.192,P<0.01)and inhalation depth of cigarette smoke(r=0.234,P<0.01),and the cigarette rod length smoked once was positively correlated with the inhalation depth of cigarette smoke(r=0.339,P<0.01).ConclusionThere are significant differences in cigarette rod length smoked once and cigarette smoke inhalation depth among the smokers of different gender and smoking intensity and interventions on smoking behaviors could reduce smoking-related health risk among smokers in Liaoning province.