Gender Differences on Smoking Behavior and Perception on Smoking: Evidence from a Longitudinal Survey of ITC-Thailand

Aree Jampaklay, Mahidol University

Tobacco use among women may not be viewed as a priority health issue, assuming that it is a problem confined to men because of men’s much higher rate of smoking. Nevertheless, the prevalence of tobacco use among women is on the rise, while smoking rates among men have either reached a plateau or declined. To formulate gender-specific tobacco control campaigns to reach current smokers more effectively, we need to understand differences between smoking women and men and whether they have changed overtime. We use the case of Thailand to answer the research question of to what extent that smoking women are distinct from men and whether the distinctions have remained or changed over time. We employ nationally-representative, cross-sectional panel data of adult smokers of ITC-SEA Thailand project surveyed annually since 2005. Over time, our findings underscore changes in gender differences in smoking behavior, level of addiction, and perception towards smoking.