Change in smoking behaviour and its influencing factors among residents in five provinces of China

Objective To investigate the change in smoking behaviour and its influencing factors among residents in 5 provinces of China.

Methods We selected participants for the study from the cohort of Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study conducted in 2007; we determined the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the participants and data analysis model based on the results of PURE study and researches on previous literatures. Then we conducted a questionnaire survey mainly on change in smoking behaviour and its related factors in 2016 among totally 3 379 residents in Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Jiangsu, and Qinghai province.

Results Among the participants, the smoking rate was 15.7% and 20.2% in 2007 and 2016. Averagely 16 cigarettes were smoked per day by current smoking participants. There were 12.44% of the participants reporting changes in smoking behaviour, of which, 231 reported smoking cessation. There was a gender difference in the reason of smoking cessation. For the female smoking participants, elder age was a promoting factor for smoking cessation (odds ratio OR = 1.10, 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.01 – 1.20); while for male smoking participants, with high education was a promoting factor for smoking cessation (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.06 – 1.53).

Conclusion More concerns should be paid to the people with low education when conducting smoking cessation promotion. The smokers with alcohol drinking experience are more likely to quit smoking for improving their health.