The social determinants of being an Indigenous non-smoker

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between various social factors and being a non-smoker in a national survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 and over. METHODS: We analysed data from the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (n=9,400) using logistic regression. RESULTS: About a half (51.2%) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over smoked, 33.4% had never smoked, and 15.4% were ex-smokers. Higher socio-economic position (as measured by each of nine variables) was strongly associated with being a non-smoker rather than a smoker, after controlling for age and gender. There was a clear income gradient: i..