Examining the effects of tobacco control policy on low socioeconomic status women and girls: an initiative of the Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND)

摘要

This commentary focuses on the convening of a national meeting of experts to develop a research agenda Tor investigating the effects of tobacco control policies on low socioeconomic women and girls. In the USA and most of the industrialised world, tobacco use is highest among those with the lowest socio-economic status (SES). While levels of education, income, and occupation are often used to define SES; gender, race, and ethnicity often intersect with these traditional measures as important additional characteristics of low SES. Women and people of various racial and ethnic minorities are well represented among those of low SES, who as a group suffer the most from tobacco related health disparities. Those of low SES tend to have high rates of smoking and low rates of quitting success, are likely to suffer disproportionately from tobacco related deaths, and have children who are likely to start smoking.