Smoking Cessation and Its Determinants Among Older American Indians: The Strong Heart Study

• Published in: Ethnicity & disease 2004-03, Vol.14 (2), p.274-279
• Main Authors: Henderson, Patricia Nez, Rhoades, Dorothy, Henderson, Jeffrey A., Welty, Thomas K., Buchwald, Dedra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Arizona - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - ethnology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Female; Health Behavior - ethnology; Humans; Indians, North American - psychology; Logistic Models; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Midwestern United States - epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Original Reports: Cancer; Risk Factors; Smoking Cessation - ethnology; Socioeconomic Factors
• ISSN: 1049-510X; 1945-0826

Objective: To examine the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and smoking history factors, and smoking cessation among older American Indians. Design: Nested cohort study of cigarette smokers in the Strong Heart Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease among American Indians. Setting: Thirteen American Indian tribes from Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota. Participants: American Indian men and women (N=998), aged 45-74 years, who identified themselves as smokers at the initial Strong Heart Study examination. Measurements and Main Results: Twentyone percent of smokers quit during the 4-year follow-up period. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between baseline sociodemographic, clinical, and smoking history factors, and smoking cessation. Factors associated with smoking cessation included being 65-74 years old (odds ratio [OR] 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 3.3), being examined at the Arizona regional center (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3, 3.7), being nondaily smokers (OR 5.4; 95% CI 1.3, 18.5), smoking fewer than 6 cigarettes daily(OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.3, 4.7), being a smoker for fewer years(OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.0, 3.9), beginning to smoke at an older age(17 years or older, OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1, 2.4), and having a history of diabetes (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2, 2.3). Factors not associated with smoking cessation included gender, level of education, childhood exposure to tobacco smoking, and a history of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or respiratory diseases. Conclusion: Several determinants of smoking cessation among older American Indians identified in this study may have important implications for designing appropriate interventions for this special population.