Introduction
1 This publication describes trends in smoking habits among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population using data from a number of ABS surveys conducted throughout Australia, including remote areas, over the 20 year period from 1994 to 2014–15. Comparisons with trends for the non-Indigenous population during the period 1995 to 2014–15 are included where relevant.
2 The Menzies School of Health Research made a significant contribution to this publication, which is an outcome of a joint ABS and Menzies project to examine trends in smoking by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over a 20 year period by applying regression modelling to a subset of data from 12 health and social surveys by the ABS.
3 Further information on the smoking questions asked in each survey which are relevant to this piece of research is provided in Appendix 1: Smoking Questions by Survey. Appendix 2: Results of Modelling provides detailed information on the results of the modelling for average annual relative and absolute changes in tabular form, including significance levels and confidence intervals.
4 This release includes supporting time series tables which can be accessed via the Data downloads section. For the 2012–13 data in these tables, the 2012–13 NATSIHS has been used to provide consistency across the tables. This is because some of the smoking questions were not asked of every person in the 2012–13 AATSIHS.
5 Throughout this release, the term ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’ refers to all persons who identified themselves as being of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
6 Explanations of terms and concepts are provided in the Glossary.
Modelling estimates of average annual relative and absolute change
7 Regression modelling was used to estimate average annual relative and absolute change during the period 1994 to 2014–15. Further information about the modelling processes that were undertaken is provided in the Technical Note: Modelling Average Annual Change.
Dataset used for regression modelling
8 The dataset used for the regression modelling comprises Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons and non-Indigenous persons who were selected to participate in any of the 12 national health and social surveys conducted by the ABS during the period from 1994 to 2014–15 and who were asked questions about smoking (Table 2.1). Predetermined survey reference points were used to measure the approximate length in time in years between 1 July 1994 and the relevant survey, and for determining whether a survey would be included in the analysis of trends before and after 1 January 2008. Surveys designated as occurring within a calendar year (e.g. 2008 NATSISS) were assigned a reference point of 1 July during that year. Surveys designated as occurring within a financial year (e.g. 2007–08 NHS) were assigned a reference point of 31 December during that year.
Table 2.1 ABS national health and social surveys used for regression modelling
Survey | Survey reference point | Sample size (no.) for analysis | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Smoking prevalence (18 years and over) | Smoking prevalence (15- 17 years) | Quit ratio(a) | ||
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER POPULATION | ||||
1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey | 1 Jul 1994 | 7 700 | 893 | – |
2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey | 1 Jul 2002 | 8 463 | 826 | 5 974 |
2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey | 31 Dec 2004 | 5 756 | – | 4 188 |
2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey | 1 Jul 2008 | 7 163 | 660 | 5 166 |
2012–13 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey | 31 Dec 2012 | 8 157 | 757 | 5 738 |
2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey | 31 Dec 2014 | 6 604 | 418 | 4 725 |
NON-INDIGENOUS POPULATION | ||||
1995 National Health Survey | 1 Jul 1995 | 38 554 | – | 19 921 |
2001 National Health Survey | 1 Jul 2001 | 17 693 | – | 9 192 |
2004–05 National Health Survey | 31 Dec 2004 | 19 270 | – | 10 551 |
2007–08 National Health Survey | 31 Dec 2007 | 15 571 | 935 | 8 164 |
2011–12 Australian Health Survey | 31 Dec 2011 | 24 396 | 1 421 | 12 611 |
2014–15 National Health Survey | 31 Dec 2014 | 14 253 | 815 | 7 012 |
a. 18 years and over who have ever smoked
9 Persons for whom smoking status was unknown were excluded (5,403).
10 Four of the surveys did not ask smoking questions of people aged 15–17 years (1995 NHS, 2001 NHS, 2004–05 NHS, 2004–05 NATSIHS). Non-smokers in the 1994 NATSIS were not asked if they were ex-smokers or had never smoked, and so could not be included in the analyses of the quit ratio. The education variable was not available for the 1995 NHS. Further information about which questions were asked in which survey can be found in Appendix 1: Smoking Questions by Survey.
11 Starting with the 2004–05 NATSIHS and 2004–05 NHS, persons who did not currently smoke and who had never smoked daily were asked additional questions as to whether they had ever smoked 100 cigarettes or more in their life or smoked pipes, cigars or other tobacco products at least 20 times in their life. Those who answered yes to either of these additional questions were classified as ex-smokers. This had the effect of increasing the number of ex-smokers and decreasing those who had ‘never smoked’ relative to the methodology used in the earlier surveys.
12 The non-Indigenous surveys excluded Very Remote areas of Australia and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities but these exclusions are unlikely to affect national estimates for the non-Indigenous population.
Variables used when estimating average annual relative change
13 The following table indicates which variables were used when estimating average annual relative change in smoking prevalence, smoking initiation and smoking cessation and the reference categories used for comparisons.
Table 2.2 ABS national health and social surveys, variables used for estimating average annual relative change - personal characteristics
Variable | Categories | Model | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smoking prevalence | Smoking initiation | Smoking cessation | |||
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS | |||||
Sex | 1 | Male | X | X | X |
2 | Female (reference) | ||||
Age group | 2 | 18–24 years (reference) | X | X | |
3 | 25–34 years | ||||
4 | 35–44 years | ||||
5 | 45–54 years | ||||
6 | 55 years and over | ||||
Age | 1 | 15 years (reference) | X | ||
2 | 16 years | ||||
3 | 17 years | ||||
Indigenous status | 1 | Non-Indigenous (reference) | X | X | X |
2 | Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | ||||
Highest year of school completed | 1 | Year 12 or equivalent (reference) | X | X | |
2 | Year 11 or below or never attended school | ||||
3 | Not stated or not applicable(a) | ||||
Smoker status | 1 | Smoker | X | X | |
2 | Non-smoker (reference) | ||||
Quit status – persons who have ever smoked | 1 | Ex-smoker | X | ||
0 | Smoker (reference) | ||||
GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS | |||||
Jurisdiction | NSW | New South Wales (reference) | X | X | X |
VIC | Victoria | ||||
QLD | Queensland | ||||
SA | South Australia | ||||
WA | Western Australia | ||||
TAS | Tasmania | ||||
NT | Northern Territory | ||||
ACT | Australian Capital Territory | ||||
Remoteness | 1 | Non-remote (reference) | X | X | X |
2 | Remote | ||||
TIMES | |||||
Number of years between survey reference point and 1 July 1994 | Continuous variable taking values in the range of 0 to 20.5 years (0–1994 NATSIS) (reference) | X | X | X | |
Survey reference point after 1 January 2008 | 1 | After | X | X | X |
2 | Before (reference) |
a. Education variable that was not available in 1995 NHS was categorised as ‘not known’.
Variables used when estimating average annual absolute change
14 The following table indicates which variables were used when estimating average annual absolute change in smoking prevalence, smoking initiation and smoking cessation and the reference categories used for comparisons.
Table 2.3 ABS national health and social surveys, variables used for estimating average annual absolute change
Variable | Categories | Model | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smoking prevalence | Smoking initiation | Smoking cessation | |||
Sex | 0 | Female (reference) | X | X | X |
1 | Male | ||||
Age group | 2 | 18–24 years (reference) | X | X | |
3 | 25–44 years | ||||
4 | 45 years and over | ||||
Age | 1 | 15 years (reference) | X | ||
2 | 16 years | ||||
3 | 17 years | ||||
Indigenous status | 1 | Non-Indigenous (reference) | X | X | X |
2 | Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | ||||
Smoking prevalence – 18 years and over | Continuous variable | X | |||
Smoking prevalence – 15–17 years | Continuous variable | X | |||
Quit ratio | Continuous variable | X | |||
Remoteness | 1 | Non-remote (reference) | X | X | X |
2 | Remote | ||||
Number of years between survey reference point and 1 July 1994 | Continuous variable taking values in the range of 0 to 20.5 years (0–1994 NATSIS) (reference) | X | X | X | |
Survey reference point after 1 January 2008 | 1 | After | X | X | X |
2 | Before (reference) |
Acknowledgment
15 The data used in this publication was dependent on the high level of cooperation received from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities. Without their continued cooperation, the wide range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.