Background:
In Germany, smoking prevalence among adolescents has significantly declined since the early 2000s. However, data show that adolescent smoking rates considerably differ between different types of secondary schools. The aim of our study was to examine how educational inequalities in adolescent smoking behaviour have developed over time.
Methods:
Data were used from four population-based studies (each consisting of repeated cross-sectional surveys from 2001-2015): the representative surveys of the Federal Centre for Health Education, the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study, and the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Each study comprised different age groups and used different smoking measures. Adolescents' educational status was based on attended type of secondary school. Absolute and relative educational inequalities were represented as prevalence differences and prevalence ratios, respectively.
Results:
Adolescent smoking rates have significantly declined in all educational groups. However, lower smoking rates among secondary school students attending higher educational tracks could be observed. While absolute educational inequalities tended to decrease over time, relative inequalities between educational groups remained rather stable or even increased.
Conclusions:
Declining adolescent smoking rates across all educational groups emphasize the importance of tobacco control measures such as raising cigarette taxes, smoking bans, and increasing minimum legal age for tobacco purchase. As relative educational inequalities in adolescent smoking rates did not diminish over time, setting- and target group-specific interventions should focus more on students in middle and lower secondary school tracks. Key messages: In Germany, smoking prevalence among adolescents declined across all educational groups since the beginning of the 2000s. While absolute educational inequalities tended to decrease over time, relative inequalities between educational groups remained rather stable or even increased.
