Adolescent smoking risk increases with wider income gaps between rich and poor.
Data from a state-wide survey of California middle and high school students (N=20,203) were used to assess whether county income inequality and poverty rates were associated with adolescent smoking. Greater county income inequality, but not poverty rates, was associated with higher established smoking risk (p=0.0019). The association was stronger in males than females, whites than other ethnic groups, and urban than rural settings. Neither county income inequality nor poverty rates were associated with experimental smoking. The findings suggest that it may be important to consider and address economic inequality in the prevention and control of adolescent tobacco use.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Department of Health Services, 650 Charles Young Drive South, Room A2-125 CHS, Box 956900, Los Angles, CA 90095-6900, USA. riteshm@ucla.edu
Ritesh
R
Mistry
William J
WJ
McCarthy
Roberto
R
de Vogli
Catherine M
CM
Crespi
Qian
Q
Wu
Minal
M
Patel
D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data