Prevalence of cigarette smoking in the United States: estimates from the 1985 current population survey.
In September 1985, the Census Bureau collected health information on 114,342 individuals as part of its Current Population Survey (CPS). A special supplement that included questions on smoking practices was sponsored by the Office on Smoking and Health. The CPS, with its large sample size, provides a unique opportunity to examine region, division, and state estimates of smoking prevalence. The overall prevalence rate for males in the 1985 CPS was estimated at 31.3%, compared with 25.0% for females. For males, smoking rates were highest in the South (34.5%) and lowest in the West (28.0%). For females, smoking rates were highest in the North Central region (26.3%) and lowest in the West (22.7%). Among males, blacks reported higher smoking rates (37.2%) than whites (30.7%) or Hispanics (30.9%). In contrast, white females (25.8%) and black females (26.0%) reported virtually identical smoking rates, while Hispanic females reported a considerably lower rate (16.5%). White-collar workers (both males and females) also reported substantially lower smoking rates than service or blue-collar workers. For both males and females, peak smoking prevalence occurred in the 40-49-year age group (males = 38.1%, females = 30.6%).
Division of Cancer Control, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
A C
AC
Marcus
D R
DR
Shopland
L A
LA
Crane
W R
WR
Lynn
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D044469:Racial Groups; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States