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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Rebekah Rhoades, MPH¹, Crystal Johnson, BS¹, Leslie Clinkenbeard, MPH¹, and Laura A. Beebe, PhD². (1) Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-271-2229, crystal-johnson@ouhsc.edu, (2) College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13th Street, CHB 309, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Objective: Given little research is available, we aim to document characteristics of rural and urban populations utilizing the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

Method: Oklahoma's counties were coded urban or rural according to the USDA's Economic Research Service Rural-Urban Continuum Code. Weighted 2004 BRFSS data were used to establish proportion of Oklahomans residing in urban and rural counties, and the proportion who smoke. Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline registration data, July 2004 – June 2005 (N=11,972), were used to characterize registrants.

Results: Approximately 37% of Oklahomans reside in rural counties, and 38% of Helpline callers live in rural areas. Current smoking rates among rural and urban populations are 27.5% and 25.3% respectively. Rural callers were 1.3 times more likely to have their first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking (95% CI: 1.04, 1.38), and were more likely to smoke more than one pack a day (OR=1.3; 95% CI: 1.2, 1.45). Rural callers were more likely to request the five-call program vs. the 1-call program than were urban callers (OR=1.19; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.29). Rural callers were less likely to have smokefree home policies, (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.85). Rural callers were more likely to have heard about the Helpline through family or friends (42% vs. 35.7%), while urban populations were more likely to have been referred by health care providers (12.3% vs. 8.3%).

Conclusion: Understanding characteristics of Helpline utilizers will aid in promoting tobacco cessation services to specific populations. Presentation will also include discussion on alternative urban-rural coding methods.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe characteristics of rural and urban Helpline registrants.
• Discuss methodology of coding populations as rural or urban

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Rural Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered