Tobacco Use in Later Life: Evidence from Türkiye on Sociodemographic, Health, and Psychological Determinants

Tobacco use represents a major public health problem among older populations, as it leads to severe health consequences and increases the burden of preventable diseases in later life. Therefore, understanding tobacco consumption behaviors among older adults can make an important contribution to the design of effective policies that promote healthy aging. This highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing tobacco use among older adults. Within this framework, the present study analyzes the determinants of tobacco use among individuals aged 65 years and older in Türkiye using nationally representative microdata from the 2023 Türkiye Older Persons Profile Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Given the categorical nature of the dependent variable, tobacco use probabilities were estimated using a gompit regression model incorporating sociodemographic, health-related, lifestyle, and psychological indicators. The findings indicate that tobacco use among older adults is significantly associated not only with sociodemographic factors such as gender, age, marital status, and income level, but also with health status, alcohol consumption, religious engagement, life satisfaction, and perceptions of meaning in life. While being male, alcohol use, low life satisfaction, and perceiving life as meaningless increase the likelihood of tobacco use, being married, having higher income, regular engagement with healthcare services, religious involvement, and higher levels of life satisfaction emerge as protective factors, underscoring the need for comprehensive and targeted policy interventions.