A closer look at smoking among young adults: where tobacco control should focus its attention.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to fill gaps in knowledge of smoking behaviors among college-educated and non-college-educated young adults.


METHODS
We used data from the 2003 Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey to analyze smoking behaviors among young adults aged 18-24 years and older young adults aged 25-34 years by college status (enrolled, or with a degree, but not enrolled) and other measures of socioeconomic position.


RESULTS
Current smoking prevalence among US young adults aged 18-24 years who are not enrolled in college or who do not have a college degree was 30%. This was more than twice the current smoking prevalence among college-educated young adults (14%). Non-college-educated young adults were more likely than were college-educated young adults to start smoking at a younger age and were less likely to have made a quit attempt, although no differences were found in their intentions to quit. Higher rates of smoking in the non-college-educated population were also evident in the slightly older age group.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-college-educated young adults smoke at more than twice the rate of their college-educated counterparts. Targeted prevention and cessation efforts are needed for non-college-educated young adults to prevent excess morbidity and mortality in later years.
Green
Molly P
MP
American Legacy Foundation, Washington, DC 20036, USA. mgreen@americanlegacy.org
McCausland
Kristen L
KL
Xiao
Haijun
H
Duke
Jennifer C
JC
Vallone
Donna M
DM
Healton
Cheryl G
CG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology