title: Smoking behaviour and attitudes of Hungarian Roma and non-Roma population towards tobacco control policies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the smoking status and support for tobacco control policies among the Roma minority compared with the non-Roma population in Hungary.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was delivered among Roma minority and local non-Roma population; 83 Roma and 126 non-Roma people were interviewed. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were applied to compare Roma and non-Roma populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of smoking was significantly higher and the support for tobacco control measures was significantly lower in the Roma population. This effect of ethnicity on attitudes toward tobacco control was explained somewhat, but not completely, by the Roma group's higher rate of smoking and lower level of education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco control policies are a proven strategy for denormalizing smoking and discouraging initiation. This strategy has important potential for Roma communities because of their high rates of tobacco use. However, this study shows that the Roma are resistant the efforts to limit smoking. Changing these attitudes will require targeted public health interventions that take into account not only the lower educational levels of the Roma, but also their cultural beliefs regarding tobacco.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, Szeged 6720, Hungary. paulik@puhe.szote.u-szeged.hu
authors.forename: Edit
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paulik
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagymajtényi
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Easterling
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011640:Public Policy; D006178:Romani People; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult