Open AccessComparison of smoking habits of blacks and whites in a case-control study.
Author(s) -
Geoffrey C. Kabat,
Alfredo Morabia,
Ernst L. Wynder
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.81.11.1483
Subject(s) - medicine , race (biology) , demography , environmental health , association (psychology) , tobacco control , preference , cigarette smoking , racial differences , gerontology , ethnic group , public health , psychology , pathology , botany , sociology , anthropology , economics , psychotherapist , biology , microeconomics
Information from Blacks and Whites interviewed in a case-control study of tobacco-related diseases was analyzed to identify explanatory factors for racial differences in smoking habits. Blacks were three times more likely to be light vs heavy smokers. This association did not differ according to such variables as cigarette preference, degree of inhalation, or quitting. The association of race and light smoking was present in both current and ex-smokers. Sociodemographic or smoking-related characteristics do not appear to explain racial differences in smoking habits. Future studies should focus on cultural factors influencing smoking behavior.