title: Differential responsiveness to cigarette price by education and income among adult urban Chinese smokers: findings from the ITC China Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined the impact of tobacco tax and price policies in China. In addition, very little is known about the differential responses to tax and price increases based on socioeconomic status in China.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the conditional cigarette consumption price elasticity among adult urban smokers in China and to examine the differential responses to cigarette price increases among groups with different income and/or educational levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariate analyses employing the general estimating equations method were conducted using the first three waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey. Analyses based on subsample by education and income were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conditional cigarette demand price elasticity ranges from -0.12 to -0.14. No differential responses to cigarette price increase were found across education levels. The price elasticity estimates do not differ between high-income smokers and medium-income smokers. Cigarette consumption among low-income smokers did not decrease after a price increase, at least among those who continued to smoke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relative to other low-income and middle-income countries, cigarette consumption among Chinese adult smokers is not very sensitive to changes in cigarette prices. The total impact of cigarette price increase would be larger if its impact on smoking initiation and cessation, as well as the price-reducing behaviours such as brand switching and trading down, were taken into account.
authors: Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Jidong
authors: J
authors: Huang
authors: School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China.
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Zheng
authors: Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA WHO Collaborating Centre on the Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control.
authors: Frank J
authors: FJ
authors: Chaloupka
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Geoffrey T
authors: GT
authors: Fong
authors: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics*; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000191:economics*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Economics; Price; Taxation