Prevalence of Tobacco Use in Adults; 2016 Nationally Representative Household Survey in Iran

Tobacco use is an established preventable risk factor for many noncommunicable diseases and is considered as an important indicator for monitoring progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to determine the situation of tobacco use among Iranian adults using 2016 household survey.

This is a secondary analysis of the data from 2016 nationally representative STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPs) survey with a sample size of 31,050. The data on tobacco consumption was gathered using questions incorporated in the survey questionnaire.

The prevalence of current tobacco use in Iran was 25.2 % (24.4‑25.9) in men versus 4% (3.7‑4.3) in women. The prevalence was higher in rural areas and among second wealth group. The prevalence of current daily cigarette smoking was 20.1% (19.4‑20.7) in men versus 0.9% (0.8‑1.1) in women). Average number of cigarettes per day among current cigarette smokers was 14.5% (14.1‑14.9), mean age at start smoking among daily cigarette smokers was 21.6% (21.1‑22), and 95.2% (94.4‑96) of daily current daily cigarette smokers attempted for cessation during past 12 months. Prevalences of exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke among nonsmokers at homes and workplaces were 23.21% (22.65‑23.76) and 18.04% (17.2‑18.87), respectively.

There was a large difference between the prevalence of tobacco use between men and women (25.2% vs. 4%). Higher prevalences of tobacco use in rural areas and among lower wealth quintiles require more equity‑based approaches in tobacco combatting actions.