Changing Trends of Smoking, Smoking Cessation, and Passive Smoking among Residents in Huangpu District, Shanghai, 2007-2013

Objective To describe the prevalence of smoking, smoking cessation, and passive smoking among residents in Huangpu District of Shanghai in 2007, 2010, and 2013, and evaluate the trend of tobacco use.

Methods By multi-step stratified random sampling, a cross-sectional study on the prevalence rates of smoking, smoking cessation, and passive smoking was carried out among residents aged 15-69 years old in Huangpu District in 2007, 2010, and 2013. Data were collected by trained investigators using questionnaires via face-to-face household interviews. Each interview enrolled 1 597, 1 374, and 1 585 participants, respectively.

Results The prevalence rates of ever smoking, current smoking, regular smoking, and passive smoking were 24.4%, 19.5%, 17.9%, and 34.6%, respectively, in 2013. The age standardized prevalence rates of ever smoking (χ²=9.86, P=0.007), current smoking (χ²=15.66, P < 0.001), regular smoking (χ²=12.34, P=0.002), and heavy smoking (χ²=8.13, P=0.004) decreased year by year from 2007 to 2013, whereas the prevalence rate of passive smoking decreased in 2010 and then increased in 2013 (χ²=39.23, P < 0.001). Male presented higher smoking levels than female in the three investigations. Female smoking prevalence rate in 2013 was obviously higher than that in 2010 (χ²=4.84, P=0.028). In recent years, the prevalence rate of smoking cessation was on the rise and the successful smoking cessation prevalence rates were around 70%. However, the prevalence rate of passive smoking was still high and presented a reducing-and-then-rising tendency (χ²=39.23, P < 0.001).

Conclusion Despite the decreased smoking prevalence rate in Huangpu District, the male smoking prevalence rate and the passive smoking prevalence rate are still at a high level, the prevalence rate of successful smoking cessation is low, and female smoking prevalence rate is rising.