Cigarette smoking in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia in China

This study examined the prevalence of cigarette smoking and its socio-demographic and clinical characteristics in Chinese schizophrenia patients. A sample of 540 community-dwelling patients (female/male: 50.4% vs. 49.6%) with schizophrenia was interviewed using standardized assessment instruments. The patients' basic socio-demographic and clinical data including smoking were collected. The prevalence of cigarette smoking was 28.5% in the whole sample, and 53.6% and 4.0% for men and women, respectively. In univariate analyses, male sex, use of first generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with smoking. In multiple logistic regression analysis, male sex, alcohol consumption, older age and lower level of education were independently associated with smoking. The prevalence of smoking in Chinese schizophrenia patients is considerably lower than most figures reported from Western settings. The dramatic differences between males and females underscore the influence of cultural norms on smoking.