Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China

Abstract Background Various studies have demonstrated the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and health and health behaviour among adolescents. However, few studies have compared the socioeconomic difference in adolescent smoking between countries with different stage of smoking. The pu...

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Main Authors: Yang Liu, Mei Wang, Jorma Tynjälä, Jari Villberg, Yan Lv, Lasse Kannas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2016-08-01
Series:BMC Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3476-0
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author Yang Liu
Mei Wang
Jorma Tynjälä
Jari Villberg
Yan Lv
Lasse Kannas
author_facet Yang Liu
Mei Wang
Jorma Tynjälä
Jari Villberg
Yan Lv
Lasse Kannas
author_sort Yang Liu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Various studies have demonstrated the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and health and health behaviour among adolescents. However, few studies have compared the socioeconomic difference in adolescent smoking between countries with different stage of smoking. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking in Beijing, China and Finland through the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Methods The data used in this study were derived from the Chinese HBSC linked project survey 2008 in Beijing and the Finnish HBSC survey 2006. The final sample included 2005 Chinese and 1685 Finnish 15-year-old schoolchildren. The associations between Family Affluence Scale (FAS), as the SES measure, and adolescents’ smoking behaviour, including ever smoked, weekly smoking and the early onset of smoking were examined separately in two countries through binary logistic regression. Results Compared to students from the high FAS group, Chinese boys from the low FAS group were more likely to report having ever smoked (OR = 2.12, 95 % CI = 1.49–3.01) and being early onset of smoking (OR = 2.17, 95 % CI = 1.44–3.26). Finnish girls from the low FAS group were more likely to report being weekly smokers (OR = 1.68, 95 % CI = 1.07–2.65). No significant difference was found for Chinese girls and Finnish boys. Conclusions This study indicated different patterns of socioeconomic difference in smoking between Chinese and Finnish adolescents by gender and by smoking behaviour, which suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in smoking are different among adolescents in countries with different stage of smoking. Country specific policies and interventions for different target groups should be encouraged and designed for reducing the prevalence of adolescents’ smoking.
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spelling doaj.art-df6a59e3fd9e4066bf81aa345279a82a2022-12-21T18:46:09ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582016-08-011611810.1186/s12889-016-3476-0Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, ChinaYang Liu0Mei Wang1Jorma Tynjälä2Jari Villberg3Yan Lv4Lasse Kannas5School of Physical Education and Sport Training, Shanghai University of SportMass Sport Research Centre, China Institute of Sport ScienceResearch Centre for Health Promotion, Department of Health Sciences, University of JyvaskylaResearch Centre for Health Promotion, Department of Health Sciences, University of JyvaskylaZhejiang Institute of Sport ScienceResearch Centre for Health Promotion, Department of Health Sciences, University of JyvaskylaAbstract Background Various studies have demonstrated the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and health and health behaviour among adolescents. However, few studies have compared the socioeconomic difference in adolescent smoking between countries with different stage of smoking. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking in Beijing, China and Finland through the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Methods The data used in this study were derived from the Chinese HBSC linked project survey 2008 in Beijing and the Finnish HBSC survey 2006. The final sample included 2005 Chinese and 1685 Finnish 15-year-old schoolchildren. The associations between Family Affluence Scale (FAS), as the SES measure, and adolescents’ smoking behaviour, including ever smoked, weekly smoking and the early onset of smoking were examined separately in two countries through binary logistic regression. Results Compared to students from the high FAS group, Chinese boys from the low FAS group were more likely to report having ever smoked (OR = 2.12, 95 % CI = 1.49–3.01) and being early onset of smoking (OR = 2.17, 95 % CI = 1.44–3.26). Finnish girls from the low FAS group were more likely to report being weekly smokers (OR = 1.68, 95 % CI = 1.07–2.65). No significant difference was found for Chinese girls and Finnish boys. Conclusions This study indicated different patterns of socioeconomic difference in smoking between Chinese and Finnish adolescents by gender and by smoking behaviour, which suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in smoking are different among adolescents in countries with different stage of smoking. Country specific policies and interventions for different target groups should be encouraged and designed for reducing the prevalence of adolescents’ smoking.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3476-0AdolescentSmokingFamily Affluence ScaleSocioeconomic inequalities
spellingShingle Yang Liu
Mei Wang
Jorma Tynjälä
Jari Villberg
Yan Lv
Lasse Kannas
Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
BMC Public Health
Adolescent
Smoking
Family Affluence Scale
Socioeconomic inequalities
title Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
title_full Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
title_fullStr Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
title_full_unstemmed Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
title_short Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China
title_sort socioeconomic differences in adolescents smoking a comparison between finland and beijing china
topic Adolescent
Smoking
Family Affluence Scale
Socioeconomic inequalities
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3476-0
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