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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Nrupen A. Bhavsar, MPH¹, J. Morel Symons, MPH, PhD¹, Ronald White, MST¹, Cristopher Williams, PhD², Richard Lee, MD³, Patrick Breysse, PhD⁴, and Jonathan Samet, MD, MS⁵. (1) Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-4962, nbhavsar@jhsph.edu, (2) Ecology and Environment, Inc., 1950 Commonwealth Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32303, (3) Ecology & Environment, Inc., 7664 E. Quaker Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14127, (4) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hokpins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, (5) Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205

Tobacco use and specifically cigarette consumption is a worldwide public health problem. Recent reports have documented substantial smoking in Muslim male populations; but there has been limited evidence from Muslim countries. In this study, we describe the prevalence of cigarette use among men in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and investigate demographic determinants of tobacco smoking. As part of the Saudi government's compensation claim for public health impacts due to environmental damages related to the 1990-91 Gulf War, we conducted a national survey of Saudi citizens in 2003. This survey included interviews for 10,952 men from four geographically defined regions of the KSA. Overall, 20.4% of men were current cigarette smokers while 4.1% were former cigarette smokers. Over an entire lifetime, men smoked on average 19.7 cigarettes per day (median = 20). Approximately one-third of men between 20-49 years of age reported being current cigarette smokers while less than 20% of men aged 50-69 years were current smokers. Men residing in eastern regions of the KSA including the capital Riyadh were more likely to smoke than those from western areas (χ2 = 65.82, p < 0.001). The presentation will also consider socioeconomic indicators of smoking prevalence. These results provide a useful characterization of the current smoking habits of the male Saudi population. Smoking cessation and prevention policies should be directed at those populations at particular risk for cigarette consumption.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence of smoking consumption among men in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Identify key socioeconomic indicators of smoking prevalence in men in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Assess future areas of tobacco research in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Smoking, Gulf War

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered