Abstract
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Background
Although rates of daily smoking among Inuit have been decreasing since 1991, Inuit are still much more likely to smoke relative to the Canadian population as a whole. However, little population-based empirical research has identified characteristics associated with cigarette use among this population.
Data and methods
Based on data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, sex-specific logistic regression analyses, informed by an Inuit social determinants of health framework, described associations between current smoking and selected socio-demographic characteristics among Inuit men and women aged 18 or older who resided in Inuit Nunangat.
Results
In 2012, 75% of Inuit men and 74% of Inuit women reported that they smoked cigarettes either daily or occasionally. Inuit men and women had lower odds of smoking if they were high school graduates. Among Inuit men, the odds of smoking were lower for those in higher-income households. Among Inuit women, the odds of smoking were lower for those who had postsecondary education or lived in food-secure households; odds were higher for women who had attended a residential school. Inuit of both sexes had significantly higher odds of smoking if they lived in crowded conditions or in homes where a regular smoker was present.
Interpretation
Some correlates of smoking among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat appear to be sex-specific. Findings from this study identify some of the protective and risk factors for smoking among this population and can help inform smoking prevention and cessation programs.
Keywords
Arctic Regions, cigarette use, gender-based analysis, indigenous, risk and protective factors
Findings
The high prevalence of smoking among Inuit in Canada is well-documented. Although rates of daily smoking among Inuit appear to be decreasing, they remain much higher than among the total Canadian population. This is especially the case in Inuit Nunangat. For instance, in 2012, 63% of Inuit aged 15 or older in Inuit Nunangat reported smoking cigarettes daily, compared with 16% of the Canadian population overall. Adverse health outcomes associated with smoking include cancer, respiratory illness, heart disease, and stroke. Lung cancer is a growing public health concern among Inuit in the Arctic. [Full Text]
Authors
Evelyne Bougie (Evelyne.bougie@canada.ca) and Dafna E. Kohen are with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
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What is already known on this subject?
- A recent analysis suggests that rates of daily smoking among Inuit have been decreasing since 1991.
- Inuit—particularly those in Inuit Nunangat—are still much more likely to smoke relative to the Canadian population as a whole.
- Little empirical population-based research has investigated characteristics associated with cigarette use among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat.
What does this study add?
- This study used the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, a gender-based analytical approach, and an Inuit-specific social-determinants-of-health framework to examine characteristics associated with smoking among Inuit men and women aged 18 or older who lived in Inuit Nunangat.
- High school graduation was a protective factor for both Inuit men and women.
- Among Inuit men, living in higher-income households was also protective; among Inuit women, having postsecondary education and living in food-secure households were protective.
- Living in crowded conditions or in a home where a regular smoker was present were risk factors for smoking among Inuit of both sexes; a risk factor specific to Inuit women was having personally attended a residential school.
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