Smoking patterns among Chinese rural-urban migrant workers.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate smoking prevalence and identify correlates of smoking initiation among rural-urban migrant workers.


METHODS
Subjects were 4198 rural-urban migrant workers, aged 18 years and older, residing in three Chinese cities.


METHODS
Participants were identified through multistage quota sampling. They were asked about their migration history, pre-migration and post-migration smoking status, employment and home life. Analyses were conducted using Chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression.


RESULTS
Overall, smoking prevalence was higher subsequent to migration (28.4%) compared with before migration (20.8%) (P<0.01). Initiation of daily smoking was associated with gender [odds ratio (OR) 0.02]; high school or greater education (OR 0.48; vs elementary school or lower); having a monthly personal income of 1000-1999 Yuan (OR 2.60), 2000-2999 Yuan (OR 3.08) or > or =3000 Yuan (OR 4.04) (vs <500 Yuan US$ 1=7.5 Yuan); and history of migration to three cities (OR:1.65) or four or more cities (OR 2.80) (vs one city). Initiation of occasional smoking was only associated with gender (OR 0.11). Solitude was the primary situational trigger for smoking initiation.


CONCLUSIONS
A migratory lifestyle is associated with smoking initiation. Findings could inform the design of tobacco control programmes that would target Chinese rural-urban migrant workers as a special population.
Yang
T
T
Centre for Tobacco Control Research, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China. tingzhongyang@sohu.com
Wu
J
J
Rockett
I R H
IR
Abdullah
A S
AS
Beard
J
J
Ye
J
J
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult