Effects of Education on Smoking Behavior and Awareness

Objective: We examined the disparities in smoking behaviours, smokers' awareness of services and products, and use of cessations products among educational groups in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: We used data on adult (24 years and older) recent smokers (smoked in the last 6 months) from the 2005-2008 Ontario Tobacco Survey, a longitudinal survey of smokers in Ontario (n=3887). Longitudinal analyses were conducted using the 6-month and 12-month follow-up surveys. Generalized estimation equation techniques were used to account for the correlated data structure.

Results: Smokers with secondary education or less (SE) were more addicted to cigarettes than smokers with higher education (HE). SE smokers had lower intention to quit in the next 6 months compared to HE smokers (34% vs. 42%; p<0.05). SE smokers were less aware of various cessation services and were less likely to have used self-help materials in their lifetime than their counterparts. Use of cessation services (i.e. nicotine patch and evidence based quit aids) in the past 6 months were much lower among SE smokers. Over the year, SE smokers were less likely to quit (AOR=0.6; 95% CI; 0.35-0.92) or make a quit attempt than HE smokers; however, those who used quits aids showed a significant decline in their cigarette consumption.

Conclusion: Smokers with lower education are at higher risk for addictive behaviors. They have lower desire to quit and are less likely to use the existing cessation services. Cessation services must tailor their programs (e.g. self-help materials) to more effectively reduce the smoking prevalence in this population.