“Do you smoke?” Trends in Wisconsin physician's advice on smoking cessation, 1995 to 2002

Tobacco use creates a tremendous burden on the health care system each year. Physician advice to quit smoking is widely recognized as an effective component in smoking cessation treatment. We analyzed data on Wisconsin smokers, age 18 years and older, who made at least one visit to a physician in the past year, using the 1995-96, 1998-99, and 2001-02 Tobacco Supplements of the Current Population Study (TUS-CPS). Trends revealed a moderate but significant increase in receiving physician's advice among current smokers: 52% in 1995-96, 64% in 1998-99, and 66% in 2001-02. Further, the proportion of Wisconsin smokers reporting to have received cessation advice from their physician was higher than the U.S. average. We used multivariate logistic regression to model the relationship between the receipt of cessation advice and smokers' characteristics. Smokers who were 24 years old or younger, foreign born, ethnic/racial minorities, some-day smokers, non-veterans, and men were less likely to be given advice. Socioeconomic status had a profound influence on the likelihood of advice receipt. Smokers with managerial and professional occupations were most likely to receive advice, while farmers, miners, construction workers, and other manual labor or service workers were least likely to receive advice. A college education and homeownership reduced the likelihood of advice receipt. Comparable analyses of the TUS-CPS data for the U.S. revealed similar associations between socioeconomic characteristics of smokers and the delivery of smoking cessation advice by U.S. physicians.