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172704 Differential association of cigarette price and smoking prevalence across income groups: Monthly Australian data from 1991 to 2006

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Mohammad Siahpush, PhD , Health Promotion, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Melanie Wakefield, PhD , Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton Victoria 3053, Australia
Matthew Spittal, PhD , Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton, Australia
Sarah Durkin, PhD , Center for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton, Australia
Michelle Scollo, DCH , Center for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton, Australia
Aim: To assess the extent to which the association of cigarette price and smoking prevalence varies by income group.

Methods: Monthly Australian data in the period between January 1991 to August 2006 were used to assess the impact of the price of cigarettes on smoking prevalence across three income groups.

Results: The negative association between price of cigarettes and monthly smoking prevalence was greater in lower income groups (p < 0.001).

Discussion: Increasing the price of cigarettes should be considered not only as an effective tobacco control strategy to lower smoking prevalence in the general population, but also as a means to reduce social disparities in smoking.

Learning Objectives:
Increasing the price of cigarettes has been recognized as one of the most effective intervention for lowering the prevalence of smoking. It is important to assess differential impact of this intervention on population subgroups. The current research will examine the effect of price increase on the smoking prevalence across income groups. The participants will learn about whether the effect of increases in the price of cigarettes has been different in lower income compared with higher income groups. The participants will be able to describe how a population level tobacco control intervention can affect disparities in smoking prevalence.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have contributed to all stages of the development of the rearch.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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