title: Tobacco and alcohol use in Cuban women.
abstract: Tobacco and alcohol are currently the most widely consumed legal psychoactive substances in the world. They represent a heavy burden for health and society in almost all populations. Increasing consumption of both substances is a trend observed in women.
  
  
  
  Describe the profile of women aged ≥15 years residing in urban areas of Cuba with respect to tobacco and alcohol consumption.
  
  
  
  Basic information on tobacco and alcohol consumption by Cubans aged ≥15 years in urban areas was obtained from the Second National Survey on Risk Factors and Chronic Diseases (2001), a national descriptive cross-sectional study, the objective of which was to determine the frequency and epidemiological characteristics of the urban population's main chronic disease risk factors. Sampling design was complex stratified multi-stage cluster. Of a sample of 23,743 individuals, 22,851 were surveyed, representative of 6.8 million Cubans. A questionnaire and structured interview were used. Variables were tobacco and alcohol use, as well as sociodemographic factors: sex, age, educational level, skin color, marital status, type of full-time employment and perceived economic situation. Prevalence, with 95% confidence intervals, and male:female prevalence ratios were estimated.
  
  
  
  Women who smoked were predominantly aged 40-59 years; had completed less than university education; of black skin color; divorced; laborers, service workers or managers, and with a perceived economic situation as very poor. Women who consumed alcohol were predominantly aged 15-59 years, had at least middle school education, of mestizo or black skin color, of marital status other than widowed; there was no typical profile for occupation or perceived economic situation. Women who were both smokers and alcohol consumers were predominantly 20-59 years, of black or mestizo skin color, of marital status other than widowed; with no typical profile for educational level, occupation or perceived economic situation.
  
  
  
  The first nationwide socioeconomic profile of Cuban women using tobacco, alcohol or both constitutes a baseline for comparison to results of a new national study now under way, permitting evaluation of trends over time and effectiveness of prevention and control efforts.
authors.affiliation: National Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Institute, Havana. patricia.varona@infomed.sld.cu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varona
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: René G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population