ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Addictions
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1643059
Smoking Trends in Poland (2012–2021) - Insights from the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Prevention Program
Provisionally accepted
Grzegorz Kubielas1
Izabella Uchmanowicz, RN. PhD, MBA,FESC, FHFA1Christopher S. Lee2
Michał Czapla, PhD, RD, EMT-P, FESC3*
Grzegorz K. Jakubiak4
Stanisław Surma5Magdalena Lisiak1
Marta Wleklik1- 1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
- 2Boston College Connell School of Nursing, Chestnut Hill, United States
- 3Division of Scientific Research and Innovation in Emergency Medical Service, Department of Emergency Medical Service, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
- 4Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Katowice, Poland
- 5Uniwersytet Slaski w Katowicach, Katowice, Poland
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Background: Understanding smoking prevalence trends across demographic groups is crucial for effective public health interventions. Monitoring such trends helps tailor prevention strategies and allocate resources to the most affected populations. These insights support the design of more equitable and effective tobacco control policies. Aim: This study analyzes data from the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Prevention Program (CCRPP) in Poland (2012–2021) to assess smoking trends by age and gender among program participants. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional observational design was used to analyse data collected from 2012 to 2021, including participants who met the predefined age criteria (35, 40, 45, 50, or 55 years) at the time of enrollment, based on their birth year. Smoking prevalence was examined across age groups and sex to identify trends and disparities. Results: Smoking prevalence significantly declined from 28.91% in 2012 to 21.77% in 2021 (p < 0.001). The largest absolute reduction was seen in the 45-year age group (from 29.90% to 19.50%, p < 0.001). Across all age groups, men consistently had higher smoking rates than women, with the gap most pronounced in the 55-year group in 2012 (41.01% vs. 30.08%, p < 0.001). Although smoking rates decreased over time in both sexes, this male predominance persisted and remained statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Smoking prevalence declined significantly among participants of the CCRPP, particularly in middle-aged individuals. Persistent sex differences highlight the need for more targeted smoking cessation interventions tailored to men. The CCRPP's large-scale, standardized data collection offers a valuable platform for monitoring national smoking trends and informing future tobacco control policies in Poland.
Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Use Disorder, Cardiovascular disease prevention, public health intervention, sex differences
Received: 07 Jun 2025; Accepted: 25 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kubielas, Uchmanowicz, RN. PhD, MBA,FESC, FHFA, Lee, Czapla, PhD, RD, EMT-P, FESC, Jakubiak, Surma, Lisiak and Wleklik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Michał Czapla, PhD, RD, EMT-P, FESC, Division of Scientific Research and Innovation in Emergency Medical Service, Department of Emergency Medical Service, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.