Background: We aimed at describing the smoking prevalence trend among the Catalan population (Spain) from 1982 to 1998, based on a gender perspective analysis.
Subjects and method: Data obtained from the surveys carried out by the Catalan Department of Health in 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 were analysed. Variables included were those related to smoking status, number of daily cigarettes, age and sex of the interviewed, type of tobacco smoked, age at which the first experience with smoking took place and smoking duration. Results are presented as proportions with 95% confidence interval and means with standard deviation.
Results: Global smoking prevalence in the 15 to 64 year-old population has remained stable between 1982 and 1998 (percentual variability: 1.1%). In 1998, there were 37.5% smokers. In women, the prevalence rate increased by 53.5% during the same period, reaching an overall prevalence of 30.7% in 1998. Among males, there was a 23.8% reduction, reaching an overall prevalence of 44.4%. The decreasing smoking prevalence trend observed among 15 to 24 year-old males and females until 1994 breaks between 1994 and 1998 so that the prevalence in young people increases in this period. In 1998, 26.1% women smoke light tobacco versus 10.4% males; women smoke an average 13.8 (8.8) daily cigarettes versus 19.7 (12.6) in males; mean smoking duration among women is 13.9 (10.1) years, while it is 22.6 (16.0) years among males.
Conclusions: Despite the important reduction of smoking prevalence observed among males, the smoking prevalence rate of the Catalan population remains high. The situation is particularly unfavourable in young people of both sexes and in women, whose smoking habit has specific characteristics.