Exposure to the number of tobacco control policies and tobacco use cessation among adults in Sub-Saharan Africa
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1
East Tennessee State University, Health Services Management and Policy, United States of America
2
East Tennessee State University, United States of America
3
Georgia State University, United States of America
4
Independent Consultant, India
5
University of Ghana, Ghana
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Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
7
World Health Organisation HQ, Switzerland
Publication date: 2018-03-01
Tob. Induc. Dis. 2018;16(Suppl 1):A582
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ABSTRACT
Background:
Tobacco
use and tobacco-induced diseases are rapidly increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa
(SSA). Addressing this problem requires both tobacco use prevention and
cessation. This study examined the rate of smoking cessation and assessed effects
of tobacco control policies (TCPs) on cessation among adults in SSA.
Methods:
During 2012 and 2014,
Global Adult Tobacco Survey data were collected in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, and
Uganda and analyzed, with smoking cessation as the outcome. The exposure
variable consisted of a composite index of the number of TCPs that participants
have been exposed to. Covariates included participants' characteristic,
knowledge of tobacco harm, exposure to anti-smoking messages, and tobacco
industry promotions. Descriptive analyses were conducted for prevalence of
smokers who had quit in the past year (i.e., ex-smokers) for each country and
pooled data. A multivariable logistic regression was used to examine whether
the number of TCPs a participant has been exposed to increase the likelihood of
cessation. The odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals were
ascertained.
Results:
Of 27,952 participants, 48%, 32.1%, 17.5%, 81.2% had been exposed to
anti-smoking media messages, health warning labels, smoke-free workplace, and
smoke-free homes, respectively. Approximately 14.1% of the participants were ex-smokers, of which 7.1%, 6.1%, 5.0%,
and 10.6% had been exposed to anti-smoking media messages, health warning
labels, and smoke-free workplace, and smoke-free homes, respectively. Preliminary
logistic regression analyses suggest that likelihood of smoking cessation
increases with increase in exposure to TCPs.
Conclusions:
As of 2014, only 41
countries had comprehensive tobacco control programs, with < 10 of the 47 SSA
countries having national tobacco control laws. This study suggests that the
number of TCPs in a country facilitates smoking cessation, suggesting that
achieving the WHO FCTC goal of reduced tobacco use requires adoption of many TCPs,
even in absence of a national law.