Disparities

Research

Effects of different types of antismoking ads on reducing disparities in smoking cessation among socioeconomic subgroups
Researchers assessed different types of television antismoking advertisements to determine which types would be most successful in reducing disparities of smoking prevalence in disadvantaged subgroups. Every ten advertisement exposures increased the odds of quitting by 11%. Highly emotional elements or personal stories were particularly effective, especially among those with low socioeconomic status. Click here to view the abstract of the article, published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Immigrants likelier to support smoking bans
An analysis of data from the U.S. Census' Current Population Survey from 1995-2002 indicates that immigrants and their children are more likely to approve of smoking bans in public places than the general American population. Naturalized citizens’ support for smoke-free venues is 75.7% compared to 59.1% among U.S.-born citizens, which suggests that immigrants may be valuable tobacco control allies. Click here for more details. Click here to read the abstract of the article, which will be published in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

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Reports

University promotes healthy lifestyles: All Nations Breath of Life supports smoking cessation and traditional tobacco usage (KS)
The University of Kansas Medical Center and the American Lung Association have developed a smoking cessation program providing free assistance to American Indians. “All Nations Breath of Life” provides participants with eight weeks of small group sessions, telephone support, and “quit kits” to promote smoking cessation while respecting and appreciating the importance of tobacco to their cultures. The program is not only culturally-tailored, but it is also tailored to individual participants, allowing smokers to identify their strengths and recognize the positive changes they have made. Click here to read more.

State’s smoking rate still high: Kentucky women smokers at 34.7 percent, experts say (KY)
Data from the Center for the Advancement of Women’s Health at the University of Kentucky shows that Kentucky women’s smoking rates are among the highest in the country. The state smoking prevalence is 34.7% among women of child bearing age, compared to the national median state prevalence of 22.4%. Prevalence is 26.3% in pregnant women compared to the median state prevalence of 10.7%. Quit rates are low, with a 28.9% of the population being former smokers, compared to 39.8% nationwide. Kentucky women also have high-ranking morbidity rates for conditions closely associated with smoking, and are likely to lack sufficient health insurance. Click here to read more.

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International

Reliability of self reported smoking status by pregnant women for estimating smoking prevalence: a retrospective, cross sectional study (UK)
Scottish researchers have discovered that relying upon self-reported smoking status in pregnant women underestimates the true number of pregnant smokers by 25%. The retrospective, cross-sectional study measured cotinine levels in stored blood samples to validate self-reported smoking status. The results indicate that approximately 2400 pregnant smokers are undetected each year in Scotland, and thus are not offered smoking cessation services. Projected figures suggest that twice as many pregnant smokers in low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods go undetected as those in less deprived areas. The article is published in the British Journal of Medicine; click here to read the abstract or here to read the full text.

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