SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions

MONITORING OF RATES AND PROCESS IN ADULT SMOKING IN FINLAND SINCE 1978 BY ANNUAL SURVEYS

Smoking and some other chronic disease related lifestyles are major determinants of public health in Finland, as in most of the developed world. Monitoring of these health related lifestyles is very important for planning and evaluation of health promotion programmes and policies that aim at reducing smoking and promoting positive lifestyle changes.

The National Public Health Institute of Finland (KTL) started in 1978 a system to monitor health related lifestyles among adult population in Finland. This is done by annual mail surveys of cross-sectional national random population samples of 15 to 64 year old population. The national sample size is 5000 and the participation rates have varied between 84% and 71%. The standard questionnaire has a number of precoded questions on actual smoking, change process, passive smoking, nicotine addiction and exposure to some intervention measures. The key questions have remained unchanged over the years. Additional questions have been applied to evaluate particular intervention activities (e.g. change in legislation, Quit & Win campaigns).

During the period of observation, smoking has clearly reduced among men and its increase among women in the 70's levelled off in the 80's. The prevalence of daily smoking (27% men and 19% women) is nowadays in Finland among the lowest in Europe. Results are presented concerning the trends in several key smoking related variables. It is concluded that this kind of monitoring is most useful tool for planning, implementation and evaluation of antismoking programmes and policies, as well as for related research.

Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

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