Smoking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among rural-to-urban migrant women in Beijing, China.
BACKGROUND
China has the largest population of cigarette smokers worldwide; surveys suggest rising prevalence among young women. Migratory lifestyles may confer increased susceptibility.


OBJECTIVE
we aimed to understand how migration relates to smoking among young women.


METHODS
we implemented a cross-sectional behavioral survey of rural-to-urban Chinese women (n = 206) working in restaurants and commercial sex venues, assessing smoking attitudes, behaviors, and health-risk knowledge.


RESULTS
rates of ever smoking and current smoking among restaurant workers were high compared with the rates in general population surveys (16.1% and 6.5%, respectively); rates were much higher among sex workers (54.9% and 33.3%, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed education to be protective, whereas exposure to female-branded cigarettes was a risk for ever smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Chinese migrant women appear to be smoking at higher rates than nonmigrant women. Priorities for future research include representative studies in multiple cities examining reasons for uptake and stimuli to quit.
Finch
Karen
K
University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Novotny
Thomas E
TE
Ma
Shaojun
S
Qin
Dingxin
D
Xia
Wan
W
Xin
Guo
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011356:Product Labeling; D012147:Restaurants; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011477:Sex Work; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult