Financial strain and smoking cessation among racially/ethnically diverse smokers.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the influence of financial strain on smoking cessation among Latino, African American, and Caucasian smokers of predominantly low socioeconomic status.


METHODS
Smokers enrolled in a smoking cessation study (N = 424) were followed from 1 week prequit through 26 weeks postquit. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between baseline financial strain and smoking abstinence at 26 weeks postquit after control for age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational level, annual household income, marital status, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and time to first cigarette of the day.


RESULTS
Greater financial strain at baseline was significantly associated with reduced odds of abstinence at 26 weeks postquit among those who completed the study (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62, 0.94; P = .01). There was a significant association as well in analyses that included those who completed the study in addition to those lost to follow-up who were categorized as smokers (OR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.64, 0.96; P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
Greater financial strain predicted lower cessation rates among racially/ethnically diverse smokers. Our findings highlight the impact of economic concerns on smoking cessation and the need to address financial strain in smoking cessation interventions.
Kendzor
Darla E
DE
Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230-1402, USA. dkendzor@mdanderson.org
Businelle
Michael S
MS
Costello
Tracy J
TJ
Castro
Yessenia
Y
Reitzel
Lorraine R
LR
Cofta-Woerpel
Ludmila M
LM
Li
Yisheng
Y
Mazas
Carlos A
CA
Vidrine
Jennifer Irvin
JI
Cinciripini
Paul M
PM
Greisinger
Anthony J
AJ
Wetter
David W
DW
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000191:economics*; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult