Sexual orientation and smoking: results from a multisite women's health study.
Although lesbians are believed to be at disproportionately high risk for smoking, few published studies have focused on smoking rates in this population. We examined and compared rates and demographic correlates of smoking among 550 lesbians and 279 heterosexual women in Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and in New York City in 1994-1996 using a self-administered survey questionnaire. African-American lesbians were more likely than African-American heterosexual women or White lesbians to be current smokers. For the sample as a whole, education was the most robust predictor of both current and lifetime smoking. Racial/ethnic minority lesbians with high school education or less were most likely to report both current and lifetime cigarette smoking. The study's limitations are noted.
Hughes
Tonda L
TL
Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois 60612, USA. THughes@uic.edu
Johnson
Timothy P
TP
Matthews
Alicia K
AK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health