MORTALITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO CIGARETTE SMOKING IN TAIWAN: A 12-YEAR FOLLOW- UP STUDY
Resource
TOBACCO CONTROL v.7 n.2 pp.141-148
Journal
TOBACCO CONTROL
Journal Volume
v.7
Journal Issue
n.2
Pages
141-148
Date Issued
1998
Date
1998
Author(s)
CHEN, CHIEN-JEN
Abstract
Background-Assessment of the impact of cigarette smoking on
mortality helps to indicate the importance of tobacco
control in a given country. Objectives-To examine the
relative risk of dying from various diseases for cigarette
smoking and to estimate annual mortality attributable to
cigarette smoking in Taiwan. Design-Prospective cohort study
, Subjects and setting-A cohort of 14 397 male and female
residents aged 40 years or older recruited from 12 townships
and precincts in Taiwan from 1982 to 1986. Information on
cigarette smoking was collected from each subject at local
health centres through a standardised personal interview
based on a structured questionnaire. They were followed up
regularly to determine their vital status until 1994. Main
outcome measures-Cox's proportional hazards regression
models were used to derive relative risks of cause-specific
mortality for current cigarette smokers compared with never-
smokers, and to examine dose-response relationships between
mortality from various causes and several measures of
cigarette smoking (daily consumption, duration, age of
initiation, and cumulative smoking in pack-years). Results-A
total of 2552 persons died during the study period. Among
men, cigarette smoking was significantly associated with an
increased risk of dying from all causes combined (relative
risk (RR) = 1.3); cancer of all sites combined (RR 1.5);
cancers of the stomach (RR = 1.9), liver (RR = 2.2), and
lung (RR = 3.7); ischaemic heart disease (RR = 1.8); other
heart diseases (RR = 1.4); and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (RR 1.9). Among women, cigarette smoking was
significantly associated with an increased risk of dying
from all causes combined (RR = 1.8), cancer of the lung (RR=
3.6), and peptic ulcer (RR = 17.8). The estimated number of
deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in Taiwan in 1994
was 8161 (13.9% of total deaths) for men and 1216 (3.3% of
total deaths) for women. In the same year cigarette smoking
caused 21.3% and 2.9% of cancer deaths in men and women,
respectively, in Taiwan. Conclusions-Cigarette smoking has a
striking impact on overall mortality and deaths from
various causes in the Taiwanese population. Tobacco control
should be established as the top priority in public health
programmes in Taiwan.
Subjects
mortality
smoking-attributable diseases
Taiwan
SDGs
Type
journal article