Smoking
Bangladeshi men have highest smoking rates
Current cigarette smoking: by ethnic group and sex, 1999, England, Percentages
In 1999, Bangladeshi men were the most likely group to smoke cigarettes (44 per cent), followed by Irish (39 per cent) and Black Caribbean men (35 per cent). Men from each of these ethnic groups were more likely to smoke than men in the general population (27 per cent). Chinese men (17 per cent) were the least likely to smoke.
Similar proportions of Pakistani (26 per cent) and Indian (23 per cent) men smoked as in the general population. This pattern remained the same after allowing for the differences in age structures between the different ethnic groups.
Like men, Irish and Black Caribbean women had the highest smoking rates in 1999 (33 per cent and 25 per cent respectively), although only Irish women had rates higher than the general population (27 per cent).
However, unlike men, women in every other ethnic group were much less likely to smoke than women in the general population. As with men, the pattern remained the same after allowing for differences in age structure.
Although very few Bangladeshi women smoked cigarettes, a relatively large proportion (26 per cent) chewed tobacco. This method of using tobacco was also popular among Bangladeshi men (19 per cent), but they tended to use it in conjunction with cigarettes.
In the general population men and women were equally likely to be smokers. However, among minority ethnic groups women were less likely to smoke than men. The sex difference was particularly marked among the Bangladeshi group.
Smoking behaviour is also strongly related to a person's socio-economic class. People from lower socio-economic classes are more likely to smoke than those from higher classes. Part of the pattern of smoking among the different ethnic groups is explained by the socio-economic differences among the groups. For example, Bangladeshi men were over represented in the lowest socio-economic class (semi-routine or routine occupations), and these men also had the highest rates of smoking.
Sources: The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups, Health Survey for England 1999, Department of Health.
printer-friendly
Geography