Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of the Smoking Prevalence in Mazandaran Province of Iran

BACKGROUND: Smoking is regarded as one of the main risk factors and additive to the global burden of diseases in the World. OBJECTIVES: This individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis aimed to estimate the smoking prevalence in Mazandaran province of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was an IPD meta-analysis. The study data were part of the STEPS Study in Mazandaran province (northern Iran), conducted annually from 2005 to 2009. Sample size was 7759 subjects. Sampling method was census. Data entry was in Epi6 software and the analyses were with stata 11 software. RESULTS: Mean (standard error) age of starting to smoke was 20.21 (0.6) years and females had started smoking 4 years later (P = 0.01). During the study, men smoked cigarettes more than women (total prevalence: 23.2%; 95% CI: 22.5-23.9 vs. 0.9%; 95% CI: 0.7-1.1 respectively). The pooled prevalence of the current smoking was estimated about 12.08 % (95% CI: 11.40-12.81). CONCLUSIONS: Present study showed that the prevalence of Smoking in men is very high in this region of Iran. Therefore to prevent the problem it is necessary that educational and research centres and health providers make suitable policies and strategies .