UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) recently hosted a workshop focused on analyzing research data concerning trends in tobacco use among women in Indonesia. The event took place at Hotel Santika Banyuwangi from Thursday (April 10, 2025) to Saturday (April 12, 2025). The research is a collaborative effort involving Syiah Kuala University in Aceh and The University of Queensland, Australia. While the Indonesian research team attended in person, their Australian counterparts participated virtually via Zoom. Scholars from Syiah Kuala University also joined the in-person discussions and data analysis alongside UNAIR researchers.
E-cigarettes emerge as key concern in women’s smoking trends
The project is led by the Research Group for Health & Wellbeing of Women & Children, funded by UNAIR, and involves faculty and student researchers. According to Dr. Susy Katikana Sebayang, SP, MSc, PhD, who heads the project, although the number of female smokers in Indonesia remains lower than that of men, the increasing prevalence and growing appeal of smoking among women—particularly through e-cigarettes—raises significant public health concerns.
“The primary goal of this study is to identify the factors that prompt women to start smoking, especially their attraction to electronic cigarettes, which, according to data, may pose greater health risks for women compared to men,” said Sebayang.
Rather than focusing solely on smoking rates, the research also aims to explore the underlying motivations and social factors that influence women to smoke. “One of the main activities during the workshop is gathering and analyzing data from multiple sources, including national health surveys such as Riskesdas and other public health databases,” she explained.
She added that this data will be processed to uncover patterns and correlations that help explain the rising number of female smokers, particularly among younger and adult women.
Findings from the study are expected to offer scientific guidance for policymakers and help inform more targeted, gender-sensitive tobacco control strategies aimed at reducing smoking among Indonesian women.
Author: Dheva Yudistira Maulana
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
