Prevalence of tobacco use and associated factors in Tehran: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study

Background: Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of all common types of tobacco use and identify factors associated with tobacco use among adults in Tehran based on information from the population-based Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study in Tehran. Materials and Methods: This study had a stratified cluster sampling strategy with proportional allocation within strata. The target population was all noninstitutionalized residents of Tehran over 18 years of age in 2013. A total of 1798 individuals were visited in 22 districts of Tehran; 811 (45.1%) men and 987 (54.9%) women participated in structured interviews. Results: The estimated prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 10.6% overall, 20.9% in men and 2.2% in women. The prevalence of smoking was the highest among respondents between 45 and 54 years in both males and females. The mean age of initiation of tobacco smoking was 21.04 +/- 6.42 years. The mean Fagerstrom test score was 2.87 +/- 2.36 among current smokers. The mean number f cigarettes smoked daily by the participants was 11.39 +/- 10.92 cigarettes/day (95% confidence interval = 12.58-10.21) (range 1-60 cigarettes). Conclusions: The 10.6% prevalence of cigarette smoking is alarming in Tehran. We found that male gender, hookah smoking experience, and poor health status were major risk factors in our study population. Hookah smoking can be considered as a reflection of tobacco smoking in the society.