217524 Similar roots but different outcomes - Decoding the differences in current smoking behavior between Korean American and Chinese American Men in California

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Ning Rosenthal, MD, PhD, MPH , County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Tobacco Control and Prevention Program, Los Angeles, CA
William McCarthy, PhD , Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS , Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Vickie M. Mays, PhD, MSPH , Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Background: Korean American men in the United States have the highest smoking prevalence and suffer from the highest proportion of smoking-related cancers in all large Asian American subgroups. Objective: To explore potential explanations for the ethnic differences in current smoking prevalence between Korean American and Chinese American men, including differences in effect of workplace and household smoking restrictions on current smoking prevalence. Methods: 1 521 Korean American men and 1 234 Chinese American men living in California were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine independent effect of ethnicity on ever and current smoking prevalence, and independent effect of workplace and household smoking restrictions on current smoking prevalence. Results: Foreign-born Korean American men reported higher ever smoking prevalence but similar quit rates compared to Chinese American counterparts. U.S.-born Korean American men reported higher ever smoking prevalence and lower quit rates than Chinese counterparts. A lower proportion of foreign-born and U.S.-born Korean American men reported complete households smoking bans than Chinese counterparts. Complete smoking bans in both workplaces (Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) =2.10; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–3.92) and households (aOR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.53–2.66) were associated with lower odds of current smoking but only among Korean American men. Conclusions: The higher current smoking prevalence among Korean American men may be due to their higher ever smoking prevalence and similar or lower quit rates compared to their Chinese counterparts. Complete smoking bans in both workplaces and households are associated with lower current smoking prevalence in Korean American men.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
To explore potential explanations for the ethnic differences in current smoking prevalence between Korean American and Chinese American men, including differences in effect of workplace and household smoking restrictions on current smoking prevalence.

Keywords: Asian Americans, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted the study and wrote the paper.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4136.0: Tobacco Use and Control Among Racial & Religious Minority Groups