An examination of smoking initiation rates by age: Results from a large longitudinal study in New Zealand

Abstract

Objective: Investigations of smoking initiation often focus on the experiences of children and youth. However, prevalence data from the Tobacco Use Surveys (TUS) and the New Zealand (NZ) census suggest substantial uptake of smoking occurs after 15 years of age, including among young adults aged 18-24 years. Identifying initiation rates is difficult using cross-sectional prevalence data, particularly among older age groups, which are subject to cohort effects and where quitting and premature mortality reduce prevalence. We aimed to identify initiation rates using a prospective study design. Methods: The SoFIE-Health longitudinal survey included 15,095 subjects aged 15 years or older who respo..