Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine (대한예방의학회)
권호 표지

Occupational Differentials in Cigarette Smoking in South Korea: Findings from the 2003 Social Statistics Survey

우리나라 표준직업분류에 따른 흡연율 차이: 2003년도 사회통계조사 자료의 분석

  • Cho, Hong-Jun (Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Khang, Young-Ho (Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Yun, Sung-Cheol (Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Clinical Research Center, Asan Medical Center)
  • 조홍준 (울산대학교 의과대학 서울아산병원 가정의학과) ;
  • 강영호 (울산대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 윤성철 (서울아산병원 임상연구센터 역학통계부)
  • Published : 2006.07.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in smoking rates according to the major occupational categories in South Korea. Methods: The study subjects were a weighted sample of 24,495 men and 26,121 women aged 25-64 from the 2003 Social Statistics Survey, which was conducted by the Korea National Statistical Office. Occupation was classified according to the Korean Standard Occupation Classification. We computed the age-standardized smoking rates according to gender and occupations after adjusting for the education level, marital status, and self-rated health. Results: For men, the smoking rate in elementary occupations was two times higher than that of clerks (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.74-2.26). In general, a more prestigious job(professionals) correlated with lower smoking rates, and less prestigious jobs correlated with higher smoking rates, except for legislators, senior officials and managers. For women, smoking among service workers was 4.1 times higher than among clerical workers (OR=4.11, 95% CI=2.87-5.88). For women, their occupations, except elementary workers, and the unemployed, the retired and the armed forces, failed to show significant differences in smoking compared with the clerical workers. After adjusting for education, occupational differences in the smoking rate for men were attenuated in most occupations, except for legislators, professionals, and technicians. Further adjustment for marital status and self-rated health had a minimal effect on the occupational differences in the smoking rate for men. For women workers with service or elementary occupations, the ORs of smoking were attenuated with adjustment of the educational levels. However, the ORs of smoking were increased in workers with service, sales or elementary occupations, as well as for legislators, and the unemployed, the retired and the armed forces, after additionally adjusting for marital status. Conclusions: More prestigious jobs generally correlated with lower smoking rates in both sexes. The anti-tobacco policy should consider smoking rate differentials by occupations.

Keywords

References

  1. CDC. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland, US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC; 1989
  2. Jee SH, Jo IH, Yun JE, Sul JW, Kim IS. Smoking and cause of death in Korea: 11 years follow-up prospective study. Korean J Epidemiol 2005; 27(1):182-190 (Korean)
  3. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. 2006 Smoking Rate Survey Results. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; 2006 (Korean)
  4. Lahelma E, Rahkonen O, Berg MA, Helakorp S, Prattala R, Puska P, Uutela A. Changes in health status and health behavior among Finnish adults 1978-1993. Scand J Work Environ Health 1997; 23(suppI3): 85-90
  5. Pelton en M, Huhtasaari F, Stegmayr B, Lundberg V, Asplund K Secular trends in social patterning of cardiovascular risk factor levels in Sweden The Northern Sweden MONICA study 1986-1994. J Intern Med 1998; 244(1): 1-9
  6. Osler M, Gerdes LU, Davidsen M, BronnumHansen H, Madsen M, Jorgensen T, Schroll M Socioeconomic status and trends in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the Danish MONICA population, 1982-1992. J Epidemiol Community Health 2000; 54(2): 108-113 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.54.2.108
  7. Galobardes B, Costanza MC, Bernstein MS, Delhumeau C, Morabia A. Trends in risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases by socioeconomic position in Geneva, Switzerland, 1993-2000: Health inequalities persist. Am J Public Health 2003; 93(8): 1302-1309 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.8.1302
  8. Ferrario M, Sega R, Chatenoud L, Mocarelli P, Crespi C, Cesana G; MONICA-Brianza Research Group. Time trends of major coronary risk factors in a northern Italian population (1986-1994). How remarkable are socioeconomic differences in an industrialized low CHD incidence country? Int J Epidemiol 2001; 30(2): 285-297 https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/30.2.285
  9. Faggiano F, Versino E, Lemma P. Decennial trends of social differentials in smoking habits in Italy. Cancer Causes Control 2001; 12(7) :665-671 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011247024979
  10. Marques-Vidal P, Ruidavets JB, Cambou JP, Ferrieres J. Changes and determinants in cigarette smoking prevalence in southwestern France, 1985-1997. Eur J Public Health 2001;13:168-170
  11. Pierce JP, Fiore MC, Novotny TE, Hatziandreu EJ, Davis RM Trends in cigarette smoking in the United States: educational differences are increasing. JAMA 1989 ;26(1): 56-60
  12. Pierce JP. International comparisons of trends in cigarette smoking prevalence. Am J Public Health 1989; 79(2): 152-157 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.79.2.152
  13. Bartley M, Fitzpatrick R, Firth D, Marmot M. Social distribution of cardiovascular disease risk factors: change among men in England 1984-1993. J Epidemiol Community Health 2000; 54(11): 806-814 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.54.11.806
  14. Borrell C, Rue M, Pasarin I, Rohlfs I, Ferrando J, Fernandez E. Trends in social class inequalities in health status, health-related behaviors, and health services utilization in a southern European urban area (1983-1994). Prev Med 2000; 31(6): 691-701 https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2000.0751
  15. Regidor E, Gutierrez-Fisac JL, Calle E, Navarro P, Dominguez V. Trends in cigarette smoking in Spain by social class. Prev Med 2001; 33(4): 241-248 https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2001.0872
  16. Bennett S. Cardiovascular risk factors in Australia: trends in socioeconomic inequalities. J Epidemiol Community Health 1995; 49(4): 363-372 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.49.4.363
  17. Cho HJ, Song YM, Davey Smith G, Ebrahim S. Trends in socioeconomic differentials in cigarette smoking behaviour between 1990-1998: A large prospective study in Korean men. Public Health 2004; 118(8): 553-558 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2004.04.006
  18. Golobardes B, Shaw M, Lawlor DA, Lynch JW, Davey Smith G. Indicators of socioeconomic position(part 1). J Epidemiol Community Health 2006; 60 : 7-12 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2004.023531
  19. Seidell JC, Bakx KC, Deurenberg PBJ, Hautvast JG, Huygen FJ. The relation between overweight and subjective health according to age, social class, slimming behavior and smoking habits in Dutch adults. Am J Public Health 1986; 76(12): 1410-1415 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.76.12.1410
  20. Yoon TH, Moon OR, Lee SY, Jeong BG, Kim NS, Jhang WK. Differences in health behaviors among the social strata in Korea. Korean J Prev Med 2000; 33(4): 469-476 (Korean)
  21. Cha BS, Chang SJ, Park JK, Koh SB, Kang MG, Ko SY. Effects of cigarette on psychosocial distress and occupational risks. Korean J Prev Med 1997; 30(3): 540-554 (Korean)
  22. Koh SB, Son M, Kong JO, Lee CG, Chang SJ, Cha BS. Job characteristics and psychosocial distress on atypical workers. Korean J Occup Environ Med 2003; 16(1): 103-113 (Korean)
  23. Ju YS, Kwon YJ, Kang HT, Kim YK. Occupational distribution of job stress in Korea. Korean J Occup Environ Med 2003; 15(4): 422-435 (Korean)
  24. Chang SJ, Koh SB, Kang MG, Cha BS, Park JK, Hyun SJ, Park JH, Kim SA, Kang DM, Chang SS, Lee KJ, Ha EH, Ha M, Woo JM, Cho JJ, Kim HS, Park JS. Epidemiology of psychosocial distress in Korean employees. J Prev Med Public Health 2005; 38(1): 25-37 (Korean)
  25. Kassel JD, Stroud LR, Paronis CA. Smoking, stress, and negative affect: correlation, causation, and context across stages of smoking Psychol Bull 2003; 129(2): 270-304 https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.2.270
  26. Kouvonen A, Kivimaki M, Virtanen M, Pentti J, Vahtera J. Work stress, smoking status, and smoking intensity: an observational study of 46,190 employees. J Epidemiol Community Health 2005; 59(1): 63-69 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2004.019752
  27. Todd M. Daily processes in stress and smoking: effects of negative events, nicotine dependence, and gender. Psychol Addict Behaviors 2004; 18: 31-39 https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164X.18.1.31
  28. Booker CL, Gallaher P, Unger JB, Ritt-Olson A, Johnson CA. Stressful life events, smoking behavior, and intentions to smoke among and multiethnic sample of sixth graders. Ethn Health 2004; 9(4): 369-397 https://doi.org/10.1080/1355785042000285384
  29. Lau EM. Lee P. Lynn H. Sham A. Woo J. The epidemiology of cigarette smoking in Hong Kong Chinese women. Prev Med 2003; 37(5): 383-388 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0091-7435(03)00148-8
  30. Graham H. Women's smoking and family health. Soc Sci Med 1987; 25(1): 47-56 https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(87)90206-1
  31. Jarvis MJ, Wardle J. Social Patterning of Undividual Health Behaviours: the Case of Cigarette smoking. In: Marmot M, Wilkinson RG, Editors. Social Determinants of Health. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000. p. 240-255
  32. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Strategy to Raise Tobacco Tax and how to Use Finance: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; 2003, p.15 (Korean)
  33. Jha P, Paccaud F, Nguyen S. Strategic Priorities in Tobacco Control for Governments and International Agencies. In; Jha P, Chaloupka F, editors. Tobacco Control in Developing Countries. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000. p.449-464