Gender Inequality in Social Institutions and Gender Differences in Smoking Prevalence: Evidence From OECD Countries

Abstract

Based on a sample of 30 OECD countries, we analyze the association between gender inequality as measured by SIGI (Social Institution and Gender Index), a measure of gender inequality in social institutions, and female-to-male smoking prevalence ratio (GSR) as measured by age-adjusted current cigarette smoking prevalence. We find that two dimensions of the 2019 SIGI such as restricted physical integrity and restricted civil liberty are positively and statistically significantly associated with higher GSR in 2020 whereas the associations between the GSR in 2020 and the other two dimensions of the 2019 SIGI, discrimination in the family and restricted access to productive and financial resources, are not statistically significant. The observed associations remain robust when sex ratios in development outcomes in economic, educational, and political spheres are simultaneously controlled for, and when alternative measures of smoking prevalence are used. These findings suggest that even within the high-income countries, there exist substantial variations in gender inequality in social institutions as well as GSR, and some advanced countries currently having relatively high gender inequality in social institutions may observe higher GSR in the coming days as gender equality advances further.