Differences in tobacco use among two-year and four-year college students in Minnesota.
OBJECTIVE
This study compares tobacco use rates among two-year and four-year college students and explores the demographic variables that predicted that behavior.


METHODS
9,931 students at 14 two-year and four-year colleges in Minnesota participated.


METHODS
Students at 11 schools completed an online survey, and students at 3 schools completed a paper survey in 2007.


RESULTS
After controlling for sex, age, ethnicity, relationship status, hours of work per week, and number of school credits, attending a two-year college predicted current and daily smoking (odds ratio [OR]) = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52-1.89; OR = 3.47, 95% CI = 2.94-4.11) and smokeless tobacco use (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.32-2.06; OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.06-2.53).


CONCLUSIONS
Although two-year college students comprise approximately two fifths of the college student population, surveys of college student tobacco use have focused nearly exclusively on four-year college students. Two-year college students should represent a priority population for tobacco control because attending a two-year college predicts increased tobacco use.
Sanem
Julia R
JR
Boynton Health Service, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. jsanem@bhs.umn.edu
Berg
Carla J
CJ
An
Lawrence C
LC
Kirch
Matthias A
MA
Lust
Katherine A
KA
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult; D014026:Nicotiana