title: Smoking, acculturation and family cohesion in Mexican-American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the characteristics of smokers and non-smokers in a setting that includes predominately Mexican-American women, with particular attention to acculturation, nativity and family cohesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey in a public hospital women's clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered survey was completed by gynecologic patients. It assessed: demographics, acculturation, birthplace and family cohesion. Comparisons of ever/never smokers and current/non-smokers were made using chi-square tests. Stratified analysis was used to assess for confounding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smoking was very common in the white non-Hispanic group (ever smoking 86%, current smoking 70%). High rates were also seen among certain subgroups of Mexican-American women: US-born (ever smoking 65%, current smoking 44%), high acculturation (ever smoking 57%, current smoking 40%) and those with less cohesive families (ever smoking 67%, current smoking 67%). Stratified analysis revealed that place of birth and family cohesion, controlling one for the other, had adjusted prevalence ratios for current smoking of 3.7 (95% CI 1.5, 9.0) and 3.2 (95% CI 1.3, 8.1) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Very high rates of smoking were observed among white non-Hispanic patients and certain subgroups of Latino subjects in this population. In Latinos, being US-born and having membership in a less cohesive family unit were independently associated with smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA. dean.coonrod@hcs.maricopa.gov
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Coonrod
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balcazar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Tine
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*