Review of Methods for Estimating Tobacco-Attributable Mortality
Author Information
Author(s): Pérez-Ríos Mónica, Montes Agustín
Primary Institution: Department of Epidemiology, Directorate-General for Public Health, Galician Regional Health Authority, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Hypothesis
What are the different methodologies used to estimate tobacco-attributable mortality?
Conclusion
Different methodologies are used to estimate tobacco attributable mortality, but their methodological foundations are quite similar in all.
Supporting Evidence
- Seven indirect methods for estimating tobacco-attributable mortality were identified.
- The most widely used methods were prevalence-based analysis and the method proposed by Peto et al.
- All methods show limitations of one type or another, sometimes common to all methods and sometimes specific.
Takeaway
This study looks at different ways to figure out how many people die because of smoking, showing that while the methods vary, they are based on similar ideas.
Methodology
A review of 74 papers that addressed the methodology employed for attributing mortality to tobacco use.
Potential Biases
Criticism regarding the representativeness of data sources and the potential for overestimation of mortality due to varying definitions of smokers.
Limitations
The study highlights the lack of a universal definition of tobacco use categories and the reliance on current smoking prevalence, which may not accurately reflect historical data.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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