Impact of XXXX prices and smoke-free policy on smoking cessation, by gender and educational group: Spain, 1993-2012.

@entity1 @entity286
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of @entity286 prices and the implementation of smoke-free legislation on smoking cessation in Spain, by educational level, across the period 1993-2012. METHODS: National Health Surveys data for the above two decades were used to calculate smoking cessation in @entity1 aged 25-64 years. The relationship between @entity286 prices and smoking quit-ratio was estimated using multiple linear regression adjusted for time and the presence of smoke-free legislation. The immediate as well as the longer-term impact of the 2006 smoke-free law on quit-ratio was estimated using segmented linear regression analysis. The analyses were performed separately in @entity1 and @entity1 with high and low education, respectively. RESULTS: No relationship was observed between @entity286 prices and smoking quit-ratio, except in @entity1 having a low educational level, among whom a rise in price was associated with a decrease in quit-ratio. The smoke-free law altered the smoking quit-ratio in the short term and altered also pre-existing trends. Smoking quit-ratio increased immediately after the ban - though this increase was significant only among @entity1 with a low educational level - and then decreased in subsequent years except among @entity1 with a high educational level. CONCLUSION: A clear relationship between @entity286 prices and smoking quit-ratio was not observed in a recent period. After the implementation of smoke-free legislation the trend in the quit ratio in most of the socio-economic groups was different from the trend observed before implementation, so existing inequalities in smoking quit-ratio were not widened or narrowed.
