Tobacco control policies and smoking in a population of low education women, 1992–2002
- 1Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, USA; University of Baltimore, USA
- 2Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
- Correspondence to: Professor D T Levy Institute for Research and Evaluation, 11710 Beltsville DR, Calverton, MD 20705, USA; levy{at}pire.org
- Accepted 10 June 2006
Abstract
Study objective: To examine recent trends and the role of tobacco control policies associated with smoking among women of low socioeconomic status.
Design: Using four waves of the nationally representative tobacco use supplement to the current population survey (TUS-CPS)—(1992–2002), the study examined trends and used multivariate logistic models of smoking prevalence among low education women to examine the role of cigarette prices, clean air regulations, and tobacco control media campaigns, while controlling for other personal characteristics.
Setting: USA.
Participants: Women ages 18 and older who report not having completed high school, compared with other women with greater educational attainment and men ages 18 and older with less than a high school degree.
Main results: Smoking among low education women declined at a greater rate over the study period than among more highly educated women, in contrast with trends of earlier periods. Low education women were found to be particularly responsive to media messages as well as price, especially in comparison with high education women.
Conclusions: The relation between health and socioeconomic status is not immutable; selected tobacco control policies, such as tax increases and media campaigns targeting low education women, may make inroads in reducing the smoking prevalence of this population.
Footnotes
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↵* General educational development (GED) is a substitute for a high school diploma obtained through passing a test.
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Funding: support for this paper was partially provided by grant number UO1-CA-097450 of the National Cancer Institute’s CISNET Program and by grant number R03 DA17942-01 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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Conflicts of interest: DTL and CMC have no competing interests to declare. EAM has a financial interest in a venture to develop a new nicotine replacement product.
