Smoking behaviors among immigrant Asian Americans: rules for smoke-free homes.
BACKGROUND
Higher acculturation is associated with Asian-American smoking prevalence decreasing in men and increasing in women. Asian immigrants in California are significantly more likely than their counterparts in Asia to have quit smoking. Smoke-free environments may mediate this acculturation effect because such environments are not widespread in Asia.


METHODS
In 2006, Asian-American current and former smokers were analyzed using the 2003 California Health Interview Survey. A multivariate logistic regression analysis examined how the interaction between having a smoke-free-home rule and immigrating to the U.S. is associated with status as a former smoker and lighter smoking.


RESULTS
For recent Asian immigrants (<10 years in the U.S.) and longer-term residents (born/>or=10 years in the U.S.), having a smoke-free-home rule was associated with status as a former smoker (OR 14.19, 95% CI=4.46, 45.12; OR 3.25, 95% CI=1.79, 5.90, respectively). This association was stronger for recent immigrants (p=0.02). Having a smoke-free-home rule was associated with lighter smoking only for longer-term residents (OR 5.37, 95% CI=2.79, 10.31).


CONCLUSIONS
For Asian Americans, smoke-free-home rules are associated with status as a former smoker, particularly among recent immigrants, and lighter smoking in long-term residents. Interventions encouraging Asian Americans to adopt smoke-free-home rules should be evaluated.
Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Elisa K
EK
Tong
Tung T
TT
Nguyen
Eric
E
Vittinghoff
Eliseo J
EJ
Pérez-Stable
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002140:California; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*