Epidemiology of smoking in an Iranian population (Semnan province): A population-based study

  Introduction: Cigarette smoking is a known cause of systemic disorders such as bronchogenic carcinoma and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate prevalence of smoking in 30-70 year old men in Semnan province in Iran.   Materials and Methods: This survey was conducted in a sample population of 1695 men 30-70 years old, in October 2005 to February 2006 in both rural and urban areas of Semnan province. A multistage clustered sampling was performed with, first, 760 clusters (households) selected randomly using a systematic sampling technique. Then one or two more households in the neighborhood of each of the former households were also selected. Finally, in each household a 30-70 year old person was randomly selected and asked to complete a questionnaire.   Results: The overall prevalence of current cigarette smoking in men 30-70 years old was 24.1% (95% confidence interval: 22.1-26.1%).18.3% of them were daily and 5.8% occasional smokers. 26.8% of rural and 23.0% city resistant adults were cigarette smokers (P=0.053). Prevalence of cigarette smoking in under 40, 40-49, 50-59 and ≥ 60 years were 21.1%, 32.6%, 25.1% and 11.9%, respectively (all, P