Prevalence of Active and Passive Smoking among Adult Population: Findings of a Population-Based Survey in Kerman (KERCADRS), Iran.
BACKGROUND
Smoking is one of the major modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Our aim was to report the pattern of active and passive smoking using the data collected through a population-base household survey in Kerman, Iran [(KERCADRS) Kerman Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors Study].


METHODS
Using a cluster random sampling design, we recruited 5900 adult persons (15-75 years old) into our survey. After consenting, every participant was interviewed by a trained interviewer. The section for smoking included questions about daily (smoking at least one cigarette per day), non-daily, past and passive cigarette smoking as well as the duration of the exposure. We used Kerman population distribution (as the target population) to adjust our estimates using direct standardization method.


RESULTS
Overall, 8.3% of study participants (15.5% in men vs. 0.8% in women, P = 0.010) reported themselves as daily smokers and an additional 1.7% (2.9% in men vs. 0.4% in women, P = 0.010) as non-daily smokers. The passive smoking was common in total (27.5%), while women experienced more exposure than men (30.1% vs. 25.0%, P = 0.010). In daily smokers, 3.2% smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day. Among passive smokers, 62.6% were exposed to cigarette smoke more than 6 days per week.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking is pretty common among adult populations, particularly in men. A majority of tobacco-free young adult women are exposed to passive smoking. Age and gender oriented interventions are required to change this risk pattern in Kerman community to prevent from further smoking related morbidities and mortalities.
Assistant Professor, Digestive Oncology Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hamideh
H
Salimzadeh
Professor, Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Hamid
H
Najafipour
Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Fatemeh
F
Mirzaiepour
PhD Candidate, Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA AND Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Soodabeh
S
Navadeh
Researcher, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mitra
M
Shadkam-Farrokhi
Assistant Professor, Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA AND Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Ali
A
Mirzazadeh
Active smoking; Cigarette smoking; Coronary artery disease risk factors; Passive smoking