The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To evaluate the tobacco problem in Côte d'Ivoire related to gender, age and socio-economic status.

Methods: Based on ten-years age ranges, on gender, and on formal or informal occupational sectors, a tobacco prevalence survey was conducted among 8-47 years old people living in Abidjan in 2002-2003. The theorical sample size of each subgroups, used required sample size table for estimating smoking prevalence. The core questions asked for smoking status, cigarettes consumption, duration per week and sites (home, worksite, public places) of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Results: The 8159 respondents (minors: 28%; female:48%; informal groups: 50%) indicated a global smoking prevalence of 13,3 ±0,4%, with statistical difference between age (minors 8,1% versus adults 21,9 ), gender (female: 4,9 versus male: 21,8 %) and socio-economic status ( formal: 10,7 versus informal:14,3 ). Two high risk groups were identified, the non educated 13-17 years old boys group (prevalence:30,7%); and non educated young female adults group by its rapid rise of its smoking prevalence between 13-17 and 18-22 years old (1,6 to 9,6 %). In non-smokers, public places represented 64,9 ± 0,7% of most offending secondhand smoke exposing places, but with significant lower level in informal than in formal occupational sectors related to higher rate in worksites in minors and in adults. When estimated duration of environmental tobacco exposure superior to one hour a week is considered, 50,9 ±0,8 % of total non smokers were concerned . In these subgroups, home rate (46,9 %) in minors, and worksites rate (30,4 ) in adults were high.