Cigarette smoking and food insecurity among low-income families in the United States, 2001.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the association between food insecurity and smoking among low-income families.


METHODS
A retrospective study using data from the 2001 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a longitudinal study of a representative sample of U.S. men, women, and children and the family units in which they reside.


METHODS
Low-income families.


METHODS
Family income was linked with U.S. poverty thresholds to identify 2099 families living near or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Food insecurity (i.e., having insufficient funds to purchase enough food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle) was calculated from the 18-core-item food security module of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Current smoking status was determined.


RESULTS
Smoking prevalence was higher among low-income families who were food insecure compared with low-income families who were food secure (43.6% vs. 31.9%; p < .01). Multivariate analysis revealed that smoking was associated with an increase in food insecurity of approximately six percentage points (p < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Given our finding that families near the federal poverty level spend a large share of their income on cigarettes, perhaps it would be prudent for food-assistance and tobacco-control programs to work together to help low-income people quit smoking.
Armour
Brian S
BS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mail Stop E-88, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. barmour@cdc.gov
Pitts
M Melinda
MM
Lee
Chung-Won
CW
D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology