[Tobacco smoking attributable mortality in Germany]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Tobacco smoking remains a significant public health concern globally and in Germany.
• Quantifying smoking-attributable mortality is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
• Previous estimates for Germany were limited in scope or outdated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the mortality rates attributable to tobacco smoking (TAM) across the Federal States of Germany.
• To provide updated, region-specific data on the burden of disease from smoking.
• To identify demographic and geographic variations in smoking-related mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 0.5% representative sample of the German population from the 1995 microcensus for smoking data.
• Incorporated cause-of-death data (ICD) from the Federal Office of Statistics.
• Estimated mortality risks for smokers versus non-smokers using data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Main Results:

• Tobacco-smoking attributable mortality rates (age 35+) ranged from 5.6% to 13.2% for females and 24.3% to 29.2% for males across Federal States.
• City States exhibited the highest TAM rates among women.
• Nationally, TAM accounted for 17.0% of total mortality in individuals aged 35 and above.

Conclusions:

• Tobacco smoking represents the most significant preventable risk factor for mortality in Germany.
• The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive tobacco control strategies.
• Public health policies should address regional disparities in smoking-related mortality.