Smoking among women in Africa

Background: In Africa, female smoking is frowned upon; a woman who smokes is considered to have a bad character. Nevertheless, the image of the liberated self-confident women the tobacco industry have conveyed for decades seems to have taken effect. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of smoking among women in Abidjan and their knowledge about tobacco. Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study on the smoking female population over the age of 15 years residing in Abidjan for at least one year. We established a representative sample of the female population of Abidjan by town, neighborhood and socio-occupational level. Results: In all, we enrolled 1479 women. The prevalence of smoking among women was 13.6%. These women began smoking at the age of 16-20 years. In general, they had an unfavorable socio-economic background; most had received an education and were not married (80%). The majority of the smokers (90%) consumed 1 to 10 cigarettes per day. Smoking was prevalent in nightclubs and snack bars (64.7%) and in the company of friends (52.2%). The factors most favoring smoking were imitation, curiosity and a smoking environment. Knowledge about tobacco and its consequences was deficient. Nicotine was the best known substance in cigarettes. The most often cited smoking-related conditions were cardiovascular and lung diseases. Basically, these women were unaware of the dangers of female smoking. Conclusion: Female smoking is increasing in Abidjan. It mainly affects young educated (high school or university) individuals with a disadvantaged socio-occupational background. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS.