Tobacco-Related Disparities in Specific Populations

Research

CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013: Cigarette smoking — United States, 2006-2008 and 2009-2010 – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). A comparison of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) between 2006-2008 and 2009-2010 revealed some progress in reducing smoking prevalence among certain racial/ethnic groups; however, disparities among persons with low SES persisted. Click here for the data on tobacco use and recommendations for addressing tobacco-related disparities here for the full report.

What do veterans service organizations' websites say about tobacco control? – American Journal of Health Promotion. A qualitative content analysis of 24 VSO (veteran service organization) websites found that out of 277 health topics, tobacco was mentioned four times (1.4% of all health topics discussed), and smoking cessation was never addressed.  Click here to read more.

Structural stigma and cigarette smoking in a prospective cohort study of sexual minority and heterosexual youth – Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Prospective data from the Growing Up Today Study (2000-2005) found that among sexual minority youth, living in low structural stigma states (e.g. states with non-discrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation) was associated with a lower risk of cigarette smoking after adjustment for individual-level risk factors.

Comparison of an intensive pharmacist-managed telephone clinic with standard of care for tobacco cessation in a veteran population – Health Promotion Practice. Patients enrolled in a telephone clinic had improved tobacco abstinence rates at six months (16.1%) compared to the standard of care (9.5%). Although the study was not designed to test for causality, the results lend support for using intensive tobacco cessation management in veteran population.

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Reports

Viewpoint: An ignored group of smokers: People with mental illness – Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry. People who have serious mental illness die 25 years earlier than the average American, and what kills them is not their illness, but complications from smoking, such as heart disease, lung disease and cancer. This opinion piece explains how tobacco control partnerships can maximize the use of limited funds, offer policy and clinical advantages, improve Medicaid reimbursement of tobacco treatment services, and improve tobacco use surveillance to reduce smoking rates in this population. Click here to read more in U.S. News & World Report.

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