Online Program

326170
Characteristics of US adult occasional smokers and their use of other tobacco products


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Yingning Wang, PhD, Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Hai-Yen Sung, PhD, Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
James Lightwood, PhD, MA, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Tingting Yao, PhD, Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Wendy Max, PhD, Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Abstract:

Background: The prevalence of occasional cigarette smoking among adult smokers is increasing, yet few studies have considered the role that the use of other tobacco products may play in determining whether a smoker smokes daily or not.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplements. Occasional and daily smokers were compared by socioeconomic characteristics and other tobacco use (cigars, snuff, and chewing tobacco) using the chi-square test.  Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between occasional smoking and other tobacco product use, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Among all US adults, 4.2% were occasional smokers and 17.6% were daily smokers.  Among smokers, 19.0% were occasional smokers.  After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, male daily snuff users were more likely to be occasional cigarette smokers than nonsnuff users.  Male former snuff users and female current cigar users were less likely to be occasional cigarette smokers than those who didn’t use snuff or cigars.  For both male and female smokers, the odds of being an occasional smoker were greater in 2010 than 1998, and differed by age, race/ethnicity, and education. For women, there were also differences by income, region, and marital status.

Conclusion: Occasional smoking differs by sociodemographic characteristics and is related to snuff use among men and cigar use among women, after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics.  It is important to understand how the use of different tobacco products impacts occasional smoking in order to design effective tobacco control policies.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the association between occasional smoking and other tobacco product (cigars,snuff, and chewing tobacco) use, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Demonstrate occasional smoking differs by sociodemographic characteristics and is related to snuff use among men and cigar use among women, after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Use, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a group member of National Cancer Institute and Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products Grant to evaluate the economic costs of tobacco products and secondhand smoke exposure.
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.