Are Healthcare Professionals Advising Tobacco Users to Quit? A Trend Analysis– NHIS 1990-2005

Objective: To examine trends in healthcare provider advice to quit smoking and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with receiving advice to quit smoking from healthcare professionals.

Methods: We used data from the 1990, 2000, 2005 National Health Interview Surveys. The population of interest consisted of U.S. adult civilians (age 18 and older) who were non-institutionalized. Trends were reported for the percent of respondents who reported having received advice to quit smoking. Factors associated with receiving advice to quit smoking were also examined. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated using SUDAAN.

Results: Of those who reported receiving advice to quit smoking, more adults reported receiving advice in 2005 (57.41%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 55.81-59.00) than in 1990 (46.13%; CI: 45.10-47.17). The difference between 1990 and 2005 was found to be significant (11.28; p-value [p]: <0.0001). In the 2005, factors positively associated with receiving advice to quit smoking were being female, current smoker, having health insurance and being obese (p: >0.001). Factors negatively associated with receiving advice were being non-white. Respondents who received advice to quit smoking were more likely to want to quit smoking than those who did not receive the advice (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.73-2.36).

Conclusion: In spite of the positive increase in the number of adults who reported receiving health care providers' advice to quit smoking between 1990 and 2005, it is important for health care providers to continue to counsel all patients to quit smoking.