Unemployment Rate, Smoking in China: Are They Related?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Qing Wang²  Jay J. Shen¹  Chris Cochran³ 

[1] School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89103, USA;;School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, ChinaDepartment of Health Care Administration, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89103, USA;

关键词: China;    current smoker;    number of cigarettes smoked daily;    unemployment rate;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph13010113

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Background: Studies on the relationship between unemployment rate and smoking have yielded mixed results. The issue in China has not been studied. This study aims to examine the influence of unemployment rate on smoking in China. Methods: Logit model and two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimation were used to estimate the effects. Estimations were done for 4585 individual over 45 using data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study conducted in Zhejiang and Gansu provinces in 2008 and 2012. Results: A percent increase in the unemployment rate resulted in the increase in the likelihood of smoking by a combined 9.1 percent for those who smoked including a 2.9% increase for those who smoked 1–10 cigarettes per day; a 2.8% increase for those who smoked 11–20 cigarettes per day; and a 3.4% increase for those who smoked 20 cigarettes or more per day. The effects were stronger for those who were employed. Non-drinkers were more likely to engage in smoking with increased unemployment rate. 2SLS estimation revealed the same association. Conclusions: The unemployment rate was positively associated with smoking behavior. Smoking control and intervention strategies should focus on both the individual′s characteristics and the physical environment in which unemployment rate tend to rise.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.