Changes in the Socioeconomic Pattern of Smoking Among Male Adults in Thailand from 2001 to 2021

Bibliographic Data

ID16910271
AuthorsRula Sa (Mahidol University), Seung Chun Paek (0000-0002-9483-5572, Mahidol University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume14
Issue2
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAGE Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/21582440241252494
OpenAlexW4398148753
LanguageEN
References cited35

The smoking rate in Thailand has been steadily decreasing for decades alongside the government’s tobacco control policies. However, evidence of whether the decrease to date has occurred equally across all population groups is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the changes in the socioeconomic patterns of smoking among male adults in Thailand from 2001 to 2021. This study employed a pooled cross-sectional design with 296,011 male adults aged 15 years or older from the Health and Welfare Survey 2001 ( n = 74,003), 2003 ( n = 14,940), 2006 ( n = 25,088), 2009 ( n = 26,370), 2013 ( n = 26,919), 2015 ( n = 52,904), and 2021 ( n = 75,787). Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were used. The results indicated that the smoking rate decreased by approximately 25% from 46.81% in 2001 to 35.01% in 2021. This decrease was significantly greater in high- and low-level socioeconomic groups than in mid-level groups. Specifically, high- and low-income, high- and low-educated, older, married and divorced, employed, and urban and rural people exhibited larger decreases in smoking rates than middle-income, middle-educated, middle-aged and younger, single, unemployed, and Bangkok metropolitan people, respectively. Additionally, the smoking rates of low-income groups decreased as cigarette retail prices increased, whereas those of high-income groups decreased regardless of tobacco control policies. The government’s price policy and health awareness may have significantly influenced the decrease in smoking rates of the low- and high-level socioeconomic groups, respectively. Therefore, the government should continue its price policy and public relations practices to further decrease smoking rates

Environmental health · Geography · Population · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors · Demography · Health Promotion and Cardiovascular Prevention · Medicine · Psychology · Smoking Behavior and Cessation

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