Educational inequalities and residence-based decomposition in smoking behavior

Understanding education-related smoking inequalities and their contributors is crucial for identifying the social determinants of health and designing targeted interventions to reduce disparities. The objectives are to identify inequalities across Türkiye and determine the factors contributing to these inequalities between urban and rural areas. To achieve the aim of the study, Global Adult Tobacco Survey Turkey datasets were employed from 2002 to 2016. The Concentration Index, a suitable technique for measuring health inequalities was used. Additionally, Oaxaca-type Decomposition approach was used to understand how the social factors affect education- related smoking inequalities by urbanicity among adults. The analysis revealed pro-educated smoking inequalities in Türkiye, with smoking disproportionately concentrated among higher-educated individuals. The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition further showed that rural-urban differences in these education-related inequalities were driven by variations in age, employment status, and gender. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions addressing both structural and behavioural factors to reduce smoking inequalities and promote equitable health outcomes in Türkiye.