Smoking correlates among Inuit men and women in Inuit Nunangat

Although rates of daily smoking among Inuit have been decreasing since 1991, Inuit are still much more likely to smoke relative to the Canadian population as a whole. However, little population-based empirical research has identified characteristics associated with cigarette use among this population.

Based on data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, sex-specific logistic regression analyses, informed by an Inuit social determinants of health framework, described associations between current smoking and selected socio-demographic characteristics among Inuit men and women aged 18 or older who resided in Inuit Nunangat.

In 2012, 75% of Inuit men and 74% of Inuit women reported that they smoked cigarettes either daily or occasionally. Inuit men and women had lower odds of smoking if they were high school graduates. Among Inuit men, the odds of smoking were lower for those in higher-income households. Among Inuit women, the odds of smoking were lower for those who had postsecondary education or lived in food-secure households; odds were higher for women who had attended a residential school. Inuit of both sexes had significantly higher odds of smoking if they lived in crowded conditions or in homes where a regular smoker was present.

Some correlates of smoking among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat appear to be sex-specific. Findings from this study identify some of the protective and risk factors for smoking among this population and can help inform smoking prevention and cessation programs.