Smoking among Young Migrant Women in China
Author Information
Author(s): Wan Xia, Shin Sanghyuk S., Wang Qian, Raymond H. Fisher, Liu Huilin, Ding Ding, Yang Gonghuan, Novotny Thomas E.
Primary Institution: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Hypothesis
Rural-to-urban migrant women may be vulnerable to smoking initiation due to exposure to urban risk factors.
Conclusion
Exposure to female cigarette brands may increase the susceptibility to smoking among rural-to-urban migrant women.
Supporting Evidence
- 18.4% of restaurant/hotel workers and 58.3% of commercial sex workers reported ever trying smoking.
- Participants who first tried smoking after moving to the city were more likely to be current smokers.
- The strongest association with current smoking was found among those who tried female cigarette brands.
Takeaway
Young women who move from the countryside to the city might start smoking because they see other women doing it and are influenced by brands made for women.
Methodology
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among rural-to-urban migrant women in ten provincial capital cities in China, using multiple logistic regression to identify smoking correlates.
Potential Biases
Potential under-ascertainment of smoking due to self-reporting.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and self-reported smoking status may underestimate prevalence.
Participant Demographics
Participants were mostly young women aged 18-30, primarily of Han ethnicity, with varying levels of education and income.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
95%CI 3.44 to 9.41
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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