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Comparative Study
. 2004 Nov;94(11):1965-71.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.11.1965.

Disparities in smoking cessation between African Americans and Whites: 1990-2000

Gary King  1 , Anthony Polednak, Robert B Bendel, My C Vilsaint, Sunny B Nahata
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Disparities in smoking cessation between African Americans and Whites: 1990-2000

Gary King et al. Am J Public Health. 2004 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined disparities in smoking cessation rates between African Americans and Whites from 1990 through 2000.

Methods: We performed an analysis of smoking cessation with data from the National Health Interview Surveys of 30660 African Americans and 209828 Whites, 18 to 64 years old, with adjustment for covariates in multiple logistic regression models.

Results: Whites were significantly more likely than African Americans to be former smokers, and this disparity in the quit ratio persisted from 1990 through 2000. After adjustment for covariates, disparities were substantially reduced especially among women. Among former smokers, African Americans were significantly more likely than Whites to have quit successfully within the past 10 years.

Conclusions: Statistical adjustment for covariates reduces African American-White disparities in quit ratios, and recent cessation patterns suggest possible future reductions in disparities.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Conventional and successful quit ratios, 1990–2000, by (a) RCSG, (b) RCSG and gender, and (c) RCSG and age. Note. RCSG = racially classified social group; CQR = conventional quit ratio; SQR = successful quit ratio.
FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Conventional and successful quit ratios, 1990–2000, by (a) RCSG, (b) RCSG and gender, and (c) RCSG and age. Note. RCSG = racially classified social group; CQR = conventional quit ratio; SQR = successful quit ratio.
FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Conventional and successful quit ratios, 1990–2000, by (a) RCSG, (b) RCSG and gender, and (c) RCSG and age. Note. RCSG = racially classified social group; CQR = conventional quit ratio; SQR = successful quit ratio.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Percentage of successful quitters who quit within the past 10 years, 1990–2000, by racially classified social group and gender.
FIGURE 3—
FIGURE 3—
Odds ratios for being a former vs current smoker, 1990–2000, among (a) Whites vs African Americans (adjusted and unadjusted) and (b) Whites vs African Americans (adjusted) for women vs men separately. Note. Adjusted for covariates, age, gender, education, marital status, and geographic region.
FIGURE 3—
FIGURE 3—
Odds ratios for being a former vs current smoker, 1990–2000, among (a) Whites vs African Americans (adjusted and unadjusted) and (b) Whites vs African Americans (adjusted) for women vs men separately. Note. Adjusted for covariates, age, gender, education, marital status, and geographic region.
FIGURE 4—
FIGURE 4—
Adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios among African American vs White former smokers for having successfully quit ≤ 10 years ago vs > 10 years ago, 1990–2000.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups—African Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1998. - PubMed
    1. King G, Bendel R, Delaronde SR. Social heterogeneity in smoking among African Americans. Am J Public Health. 1998;88:1081–1085. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga: US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 1989. DHHS publication CDC 89–8411.
    1. King G, Polednak A, Bendel R, Hovey D. Smoking among native and foreign-born African Americans. Ann Epidemiol. 1999;9:236–244. - PubMed
    1. King G, Polednak T, Bendel R. Regional variation in smoking among African Americans. Prev Med. 1999;29:126–132. - PubMed

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