Smoking in adults in the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the associations between smoking and socioeconomic status, and to analyze the profile of smokers in the city of Rio Branco, Acre.


METHODS
A population-based cross-sectional study conducted with 1,512 adults living in urban and rural areas. Information about demographic aspects, socioeconomic status and smoking habits were collected through home interviews. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated by Poisson regression.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of smoking was of 19.9%. Males had a higher prevalence (22.7%) in contrast to females (17.6%). By age, a higher prevalence was observed at 50 - 59 years in males (30.9%) and at 40 - 49 years in females (23.8%). A linear trend was observed between the higher prevalence of smoking and the lower amount of years of education and income (p < 0.05). The profile of smokers indicated that the majority, in both genders, began smoking at age 15, smoked between 1 and 10 cigarettes per day, lit the first cigarette of the day 60 minutes after waking up and had tried to quit smoking at least twice.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of smoking is a relevant public health problem in Rio Branco. Community actions must be implemented for the prevention and control of tobacco use.
Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.
Patricia Merly
PM
Martinelli
Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.
Creso Machado
CM
Lopes
Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.
Pascoal Torres
PT
Muniz
Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.
Orivado Florencio de
OF
Souza
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult