우리나라에서 흡연율의 사회계층별 불평등과 변화추이 = Socioeconomic Inequality and Its Trends in Cigarette Smoking in South Korea, 1998∼2005

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Over the past several decades, smoking as one of crucial lifestyle factors has been known as the major determinants of premature and preventable mortality and morbidity. In addition, it is well documented that people of lower socioeconomic position are significantly more likely to smoke cigarettes.
The purpose of this study is to examine the trends of socioeconomic differentials in smoking rates by gender and age, and socioeconomic position in Korea.
Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey from 1998, 2001, 2005 was used. This study included 21,417 men and women aged 25 and over. Socioeconomic position indicators were education, occupation and household equivalent income.
Age-standardized smoking rates decreased among men aged 25-64 and 65+, and among women aged 65+ between 1988 and 2005, while smoking rates among women aged 25-64 increased between 1988 and 2005. Education and income was inversely associated with smoking in both genders. Those with manual occupations had greater smoking rates than those who had non-manual labor in both genders. Based on the relative index of inequality(RII), unfavorable inequality trends toward low education were found in men aged 25-64. However, these were not found in men aged 65 and over.
Continuous anti-smoking policy measures should be directed toward men whose smoking rates are still high. In addition, women`s smoking pattern needs to be further investigated in Korea. This study found that the Korean government should effort to develope anti-smoking policies and programs that are attuned to SES-related smoking pattern, with a view to reducing socioeconomic differentials in smoking rates.