Changes in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in French women: worrying trends

Publié le 1 avril 2020
Mis à jour le 5 janvier 2021

Background: the high prevalence of smoking among French women since the 1970s has been reflected over the past decade by a strong impact on the health of women. This paper describes age and gender differences in France of the impact of smoking on morbidity and mortality trends since the 2000s. Methods: smoking prevalence trends were based on estimates from national surveys from 1974 to 2017. Lung cancer incidence were estimated from 2002-12 cancer registry data. Morbidity data for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation and myocardial infarction were assessed through hospital admissions data, 2002-15. For each disease, number of deaths between 2000 and 2014 came from the national database on medical causes of death. The tobacco-attributable mortality (all causes) was obtained using a population-attributable fraction methodology. Results: the incidence of lung cancer and COPD increased by 72% and 100%, respectively, among women between 2002 and 2015. For myocardial infarction before the age of 65, the incidence increased by 50% between 2002 and 2015 in women vs. 16% in men and the highest increase was observed in women of 45-64-year-olds. Mortality from lung cancer and COPD increased by 71% and 3%, respectively, among women. The estimated number of women who died as a result of smoking has more than doubled between 2000 and 2014 (7% vs. 3% of all deaths). Conclusions: the increase in the prevalence of smoking among women has a major impact on the morbidity and mortality of tobacco-related diseases in women and will continue to increase for a number of years.

Auteur : Olié Valérie, Pasquereau Anne, Assogba Frank A G, Arwidson Pierre, Nguyen-Thanh Viet, Chatignoux Edouard, Gabet Amélie, Delmas Marie-Christine, Bonaldi Christophe
European Journal of Public Health, 2020, vol. 30, n°. 2, p. 380-385