Background: We assessed age and sex differences in cigarette smoking
and use of smokeless tobacco over time in a rural population in
Tanzania. This paper presents data on tobacco use among men and women
15-36 years old from 1991 to 1997. Methods: Cross-sectional studies
were conducted in 1991, 1993 and 1997 in the Oria rural village
situated 30 kilometres south of Moshi town in Kilimanjaro region.
Verbal informed consent was obtained from each participant before
questionnaire administration. Interviewers were fully trained on how to
administer the questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence of
cigarette smoking in men declined from 36.0% in 1991 to 23.1% in 1997
while for women prevalence declined from 3.0% in 1991 to 1.0% in 1997.
Prevalence of cigarette smoking increased significantly with increasing
age (p = 0.001). The overall self-reported prevalence of consumption of
nasal tobacco snuff was 0.6% and that of oral snuff was 1.9%. There was
no significant difference observed on the use of nasal tobacco snuff
among men as compared to women (0.5% versus 0.6%). However,
significantly more women than men used oral tobacco snuff in this
population (3.0 versus 0.5%) (OR =6.31; 95% CI 1.45 to 57.11).
Conclusions: More men than women reported being cigarette smokers while
for oral tobacco snuff more women than men used it. Cigarette smoking
declined over time and may have been due to economic hardships
following floods that hit the village in 1997