Socioeconomic inequality in prevalence of cigarette and Waterpipe smoking among Iranian adults: A blinder Oaxaca decomposition Analysis

Background: To assess socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of tobacco smoking among Iranian adults in 2010. Methods: Data from the fifth national STEPS survey were analyzed. A blinder Oaxaca decomposition model was applied to assess socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of daily cigarette and waterpipe smoking in men and women. Results: Overall, 4,203 participants appeared to be in the first and fifth quintiles of SES For men, the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking was higher among those with low SES (23.1%) than those with high SES (11.1%) (P lt;0.001), which was mainly related to educational level (8.6%), residential area (2.7%) and being exposed to cigarette smoker at home/work (1.3%). Likewise, we found a higher prevalence of daily waterpipe use among low SES (4.4%) women than high SES women (1.3%), Education plays a significant role in this difference (P=0.003). Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings reflect a strong association of education and economic level with tobacco smoking. Such factors must be considered as a pivotal basis for the design of tobacco control program at national and subnational scales.