title: Health care provider tobacco cessation counseling among current African American tobacco users.
abstract: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in the United States. Patients advised to quit use of tobacco products by their health care providers are more likely to quit, yet it has been documented that patients are not receiving this advice. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not current African American tobacco users were receiving provider-initiated advice to quit. A cross-sectional survey identified 245 self-reported African American tobacco users residing in Maryland. Study variables collected included sociodemographics, access to care, smoking status, and assessed if tobacco cessation counseling was ever provided. Among those surveyed, only 42% reported ever being counseled to quit tobacco use and, of those who had a recent clinical encounter (within the past year), only 20% reported being counseled. Multivariate logistic regression identified that having a regular source of health care, living in an urban setting, and being female increased chances of being advised to quit tobacco use. Overall, findings indicate that African Americans are not being screened or receiving cessation counseling as recommended by leading health agencies. Health care provider training to promote better integration of tobacco screening and tobacco cessation counseling during the patient encounter is needed.
authors: Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199, USA. richard.palmer@fiu.edu
authors: Richard C
authors: RC
authors: Palmer
authors: Sheila
authors: S
authors: McKinney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data