Title:
Association between educational level and smoking cessation in an 11-year follow-up study of a national health survey
Authors:
Otto Ruokolainen, Tommi Härkänen, Jouni Lahti, Ari Haukkala, Markku Heliövaara & Ossi Rahkonen
Published:
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 1 March 2021
Abstract:
Aims:
There is a lack of longitudinal, population-based studies on the association between education and smoking cessation. A more thorough examination of this association is needed to address inequalities in smoking.
Methods:
The longitudinal Health 2000 Survey and Health 2011 Survey, representing the Finnish population aged ⩾30 years, were analysed. Of the 1352 baseline daily smokers, 945 (70%) provided a smoking status at the follow-up. The analytic sample size was 884 (excluding the follow-up occasional smokers). Self-reported questionnaire data and measurements (e.g. plasma cotinine) from the baseline were utilised. The outcome variable was smoking cessation at the follow-up, and the main explanatory variable was education. Logistic regression was the main method for statistical analyses. All of the analyses accounted for the sampling design.
Results:
At the follow-up, 28% of the baseline daily smokers had quit smoking. An adjusted regression model showed that highly educated respondents had a higher likelihood of quitting smoking compared with those with basic education. Controlling for demographic and health-related variables had a modest effect on this association. Higher scores for plasma cotinine, symptoms of depression and heavy alcohol use were associated with a lower likelihood of quitting smoking. The association between education and smoking cessation was weaker for women than it was for men.
Conclusions:
High education is associated with smoking cessation among the general adult population, especially among men. A higher plasma cotinine level is strongly associated with continued smoking among both sexes. Background variables only modestly affected the association between education and smoking cessation.