Social heterogeneity in smoking among African Americans.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the effects of sociodemographic variables on the smoking behavior of African Americans.


METHODS
Data for 14,397 African-American respondents (18-64 years old) to the National Health Interview Survey in the years 1990 through 1993 were examined in multivariate models.


RESULTS
Age was the strongest predictor of smoking, and men were at least 1.75 times as likely as women to be smokers (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
The Year 2000 goal of an 18% prevalence rate among African-American adults may not be attained without major community interventions focusing on male and middle-aged African Americans.
King
G
G
Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06030, USA.
Bendel
R
R
Delaronde
S R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology