Smoking, standard of living, and poverty in China.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse differences in smoking behaviour and smoking expenditures among low and high income households in China and the impact of smoking on standard of living of low income households in China.


METHODS
About 3400 urban and rural households from 36 townships/districts in southwest China were interviewed in 2002. Cross tabulations and regression analysis were used to examine the differences in major household expenditures, including food, housing, clothing, and education between households with smokers and without smokers.


RESULTS
Lower income households with smokers paid less per pack and smoked fewer cigarettes than higher income households with smokers. Poor urban households spent an average of 6.6% of their total expenditures on cigarettes; poor rural households spent 11.3% of their total expenditures on cigarettes.


CONCLUSIONS
Reducing cigarette expenditures could release household resources to spend on food, housing, and other goods that improve living standards.
Hu
T-w
TW
University of California, Room 412 Warren Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. thu@berkeley.edu
Mao
Z
Z
Liu
Y
Y
de Beyer
J
J
Ong
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D004493:Education / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics; D006798:Housing / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data