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Gender differences in tobacco use in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Waldron, Ingrid
  • Bratelli, Gary
  • Carriker, Laura
  • Sung, Wei-Chin
  • Vogeli, Christine
  • Waldman, Elizabeth

Abstract

This paper reviews historical, anthropological and contemporary survey data concerning gender differences in tobacco use in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America. In many cultural groups in these regions, tobacco use has been substantially more common among men than among women. In some groups, tobacco use has been about equally common for both sexes. No evidence was found of any group in which tobacco use has been substantially more common among women. The widespread pattern of greater tobacco use by men appears to be linked to general features of sex roles. For example, men have often had greater social power than women, and this has been expressed in greater restrictions on women's behavior, including social prohibitions against women's smoking. These social prohibitions against women's smoking have strongly inhibited women's tobacco use and thus have been a major cause of gender differences in tobacco use. Gender differences in tobacco use have varied in magnitude, depending on the type of tobacco use and the particular cultural group, age group and historical period considered. Causes of the variation in gender differences in tobacco use include variation in women's status and variation in the social significance and benefits attributed to particular types of tobacco use in different cultures. Contact with Western cultures appears to have increased or decreased gender differences in smoking, depending on the specific circumstances. The patterns of gender differences in tobacco use in non-Western societies are similar in many ways to the patterns observed in Western societies, but there are several important differences. For example, current evidence indicates that in many non-Western societies women have been more likely than men to quit smoking, in contrast to most Western societies where men have been as likely or more likely than women to quit smoking.

Suggested Citation

  • Waldron, Ingrid & Bratelli, Gary & Carriker, Laura & Sung, Wei-Chin & Vogeli, Christine & Waldman, Elizabeth, 1988. "Gender differences in tobacco use in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 27(11), pages 1269-1275, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:27:y:1988:i:11:p:1269-1275
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rodríguez-Planas, Núria & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2019. "Intergenerational transmission of gender social norms and teenage smoking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 122-132.
    2. Fred Pampel & Justin Denney, 2011. "Cross-National Sources of Health Inequality: Education and Tobacco Use in the World Health Survey," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(2), pages 653-674, May.
    3. Hermann Pythagore Pierre Donfouet & Shukri F. Mohamed & Eric Malin, 2021. "Socioeconomic inequality in tobacco use in Kenya: a concentration analysis," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 247-269, June.
    4. Kim Korinek & Peter Loebach & Ha Ngoc Trinh, 2017. "Military service and smoking in a cohort of northern Vietnamese older adults," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 62(1), pages 43-51, January.
    5. Pampel, Fred, 2008. "Tobacco use in sub-Sahara Africa: Estimates from the demographic health surveys," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1772-1783, April.
    6. Yamamura, Eiji, 2010. "Effects of Female Labor Participation and Marital Status on Smoking Behavior in Japan," MPRA Paper 21789, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Albert Hermalin & Deborah Lowry, 2012. "The Decline of Smoking Among Female Birth Cohorts in China in the 20th Century: A Case of Arrested Diffusion?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(4), pages 545-570, August.
    8. Rodríguez-Planas, Núria & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2016. "Social Norms and Teenage Smoking: The Dark Side of Gender Equality," IZA Discussion Papers 10134, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Rodríguez-Planas, Nuria & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna & Terskaya, Anastasia, 2022. "Gender norms in high school: Impacts on risky behaviors from adolescence to adulthood," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 429-456.

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