Social mobility and smoking: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Social mobility, the movement between social classes, can influence health behaviors.
• Understanding the relationship between socioeconomic changes and smoking is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing longitudinal studies on the impact of social mobility on smoking prevalence.
• To synthesize findings regarding socioeconomic status and tobacco use over time.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science databases.
• Inclusion of longitudinal and prospective cohort studies using keywords related to social mobility and smoking.
• Analysis of six European studies, with four utilizing occupational classification for social mobility measurement.

Main Results:

• Consistent association between lower socioeconomic level and higher proportions of tobacco users throughout observation periods.
• Individuals undergoing downward social mobility tended to adopt the smoking habits of their new, lower socioeconomic group.
• All identified studies were conducted in European populations.

Conclusions:

• Lower socioeconomic status is a significant predictor of increased smoking prevalence.
• Downward social mobility may lead to behavioral changes, including increased smoking, as individuals adapt to new social environments.
• Further research is needed to explore these dynamics across diverse populations.