Sociodemographic characteristics of cigarette smoking initiation in the United States: implications for smoking prevention policy

Article Abstract:

The age at which someone first takes up smoking has been found to be crucial, because once that person becomes an established smoker, the nature of his or her problem changes from prevention to cessation of use of a highly addictive drug, nicotine. The present study examined the associations between the age of first smoking with race/ethnicity and educational level. More than 45,000 individuals were included in the combined study population between 1982 and 1984. Smoking histories for some individuals went back as far as 25 to 30 years prior. As a result, the data concerning the age of beginning smoking may not adequately reflect current trends. Smoking initiation was found to increase rapidly after the age of 11, peaking between the ages of 17 and 19 and then declining. The rate of smoking and the age of initiation were seen to be significantly and inversely related to educational level; poorly educated individuals of all races and ethnic background were found to begin smoking at an earlier age. These results demonstrate that the attempt to establish a smoke-free United States by the year 2000 can only be reached by gearing smoke policy to early years, when all can be reached in school. Prevention of initiation is significantly easier than quitting smoking. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Prevention, Demographic aspects

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Depression and the dynamics of smoking: a national perspective

Article Abstract:

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and a follow-up study were used to investigate the relationship between level of depression and smoking. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess the level of depression and this data was correlated with other additional data pertaining to smoking level and attempts to quit. In all a group 2,963 respondents were included in the survey. Of this group, 39 percent were current smokers, and a detailed smoking history was obtained to ascertain the number of attempts to quit and the age at which quitting was accomplished, if ever. The level of smoking in both men and women was found to correlate with the severity of depression found on CES-D scale. Similarly, the quit ratio (the percentage of people who ever smoked who were able to quit) declined for both men and women as the depression scores increased. When adjusted for other variables such as sex, age and education, depressed individuals were found to be 40 percent less likely to quit smoking than nondepressed smokers. This study suggests that depression is an important factor in smoking. Further research will be required to clarify the linkage between smoking and depression. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Depression, Mental, Depression (Mood disorder)

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Birth cohort analysis of prevalence of cigarette smoking among Hispanics in the United States

Article Abstract:

The cigarette smoking patterns of Hispanic men and women were analyzed by age group and compared to historical trends of smoking by Hispanic Americans, including Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans and Puerto Rican-Americans. Patterns were recorded based on year of birth, beginning with people born in 1911. Based on age, certain groups of Hispanic men were more likely to smoke than women the same age. However, as successive age groups were analyzed, the prevalence of smoking among men decreased. Among Cuban-Americans and Puerto Rican-American women, however, the numbers of smokers increased with successive age groups. While fewer Hispanic men have started to smoke over the years, the number of Hispanic women from younger age groups who smoke cigarettes has increased.

Research, Smokers, Mexican Americans, Hispanic Americans, Cuban Americans

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Trends in cigarette smoking in the United States: the changing influence of gender and race. Trends in cigarette smoking in the United States: educational differences are increasing

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