Area-level characteristics and smoking in women

Am J Public Health. 2001 Nov;91(11):1847-50. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.11.1847.

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined whether area-level characteristics are associated with individual smoking behavior among women.

Methods: Analyses included 648 women enrolled as control patients in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (1993-1996). Smoking and covariate information was obtained from interviews. Area-level characteristics included census block-group education level, poverty, unemployment, car-home ownership, crowding, and, for 431 women, city-level crime rates.

Results: In multivariate logistic regression models, no area characteristics were clearly associated with a history of smoking. Among those who had ever smoked, continued smoking was associated with living in low-education areas (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 2.9), high-unemployment areas (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.8), and high-crime areas (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.8, 3.2).

Conclusions: The present findings are consistent with a growing literature suggesting that area-level social and economic disadvantage influences individual smoking behavior.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Censuses
  • Crime / statistics & numerical data
  • Crowding / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Behavior* / ethnology
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Middle Aged
  • North Carolina / epidemiology
  • Poverty Areas
  • Prevalence
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Smoking / epidemiology*
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Socioeconomic Factors*
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • White People / psychology
  • Women's Health