Educational inequalities in smoking among men and women aged 16 years and older in 11 European countries.

OBJECTIVE: To determine those groups who are at increased risk of smoking related diseases, we assessed in which male and female generations smoking was more prevalent among lower educated groups than among the higher educated, in 11 European countries. DESIGN: Cross sectional analysis of data on smoking, covering the year 1998, from a social survey designed for all member states of the European Union. SUBJECTS: Higher and lower educated men and women aged 16 years and older from 11 member states of the European Union. OUTCOME MEASURES: Age standardised prevalence rates by education and prevalence odds ratios of current and ever daily smoking comparing lower educated groups with higher educated groups. RESULTS: A north-south g