 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Alpa Patel-Larson, MA, MPH, Office on Smoking and Health, Epidemiology Branch, CDC, 4770 Buford Hwy., N.E, Mailstop K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-5903, aop2@cdc.gov
Background: The national prevalence of tobacco use among persons with disabilities is unknown. Many facility-based studies have been performed to determine the number of smokers among persons with specific disabling conditions. Design: Data were obtained from the 1997-2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), face-to-face interviews conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually. NHIS is a multistage probability sample survey representative of the civilian non-institutionalized U.S. population. Since 1997, questions regarding activity limitations due to physical, mental or emotional problems are part of the family core questionnaire, and adult and child core questions. For each family member with a limitation, the condition or health problem associated with that limitation was specified, including the length of time with the condition. On tobacco use, participants were asked about current smoking, age of initiation, amount smoked, and quit attempts. Expected results: Adults with disabilities have a higher smoking rate and are heavier smokers compared to adults without disabilities. Actual rates varied by type of disability. Also, smokers with disabilities have more quit attempts, and are less successful than persons without disabilities. Compared to current literature, this reported prevalence is a more accurate representation of the U.S. population. Conclusion: Due to the higher prevalence of smoking among persons with disabilities, more programs targeted on their special needs, co-morbid conditions, and difficulty in quitting should be addressed.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Disability, Tobacco
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.