[A descriptive study on the smoking pattern among general population in Xuzhou, 2008.]

To understand the prevalence of smoking in different sub-populations in Xuzhou area so as to develop effective tobacco control policies.

Through multi-stage randomized cluster sampling, a face-to-face study with standard questionnaire was carried out among residents aged above 15 years, from June to December 2008, with descriptive nature.

Totally, 44 686 people, with 21 524 males and 23 162 females at age 15 and over were investigated, including 34 391 of them from rural areas and 10 295 from the urban population. Data regarding rates on ever smoked and current smoking, regular smoking, heavy smoking, and average numbers of cigarettes smoked per day, types of tobacco products smoked, rates on quitting smoking successfully, relapse, passive smoke exposure etc., were 22.45%, 21.40%, 15.49%, 9.49%, 15.09/d, 4.68%, 5.91% and 14.12% respectively. There were no significant differences in the rates of overall smoking, current smoking and regular smoking among urban and rural residents (P > 0.05). However, rates of successfully quitting smoking and passive smoke exposure in the urban areas were higher than those in the rural areas (P < 0.05). Rates regarding relapse, heavy smoking and average numbers of cigarettes smoked per day in the rural areas were higher than those in the urban areas (P < 0.05). Rates on smoking, current smoking, regular smoking, heavy smoking, relapse and average numbers of cigarettes smoked per day were higher in males than those in females (P < 0.05). Rates of quitting smoking successfully and passive smoke exposure were higher in females than those in males (P < 0.05). The major types of tobacco products smoked by people aged 15 years old and above were cigarettes (85.17%), and Chinese pipes (3.24%).

Smoking was quite common in people from Xuzhou. Our data suggested that health education should be strengthened and sustainable intervention measures be developed and implemented to control the tobacco use in the area.