title: Individual patient data meta-analysis of the smoking prevalence in mazandaran province of iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking is regarded as one of the main risk factors and additive to the global burden of diseases in the World.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis aimed to estimate the smoking prevalence in Mazandaran province of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was an IPD meta-analysis. The study data were part of the STEPS Study in Mazandaran province (northern Iran), conducted annually from 2005 to 2009. Sample size was 7759 subjects. Sampling method was census. Data entry was in Epi6 software and the analyses were with stata 11 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (standard error) age of starting to smoke was 20.21 (0.6) years and females had started smoking 4 years later (P = 0.01). During the study, men smoked cigarettes more than women (total prevalence: 23.2%; 95% CI: 22.5-23.9 vs. 0.9%; 95% CI: 0.7-1.1 respectively). The pooled prevalence of the current smoking was estimated about 12.08 % (95% CI: 11.40-12.81).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present study showed that the prevalence of Smoking in men is very high in this region of Iran. Therefore to prevent the problem it is necessary that educational and research centres and health providers make suitable policies and strategies .
authors: Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IR Iran.
authors: Mahmood
authors: M
authors: Moosazadeh
authors: Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute of Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors: Mohammadreza
authors: M
authors: Amiresmaili
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, IR Iran.
authors: Mahdi
authors: M
authors: Afshari
keywords: Cigarette; Iran; Prevalence; Smoking