title: Prevalence and validity of self-reported smoking in Indigenous and non-Indigenous young adults in the Australian Northern Territory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we used data from Australia's Northern Territory to assess differences in self-reported smoking prevalence between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. We also used urinary cotinine data to assess the validity of using self-reported smoking data in these populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Aboriginal Birth Cohort (ABC) is a prospective study of 686 Aboriginal babies born in Darwin 1987-90. The Top End Cohort (TEC) is a study of non-Indigenous adolescents, all born in Darwin 1987-91. In both studies, participants aged between 16 and 21 years, were asked whether they smoked. Urinary cotinine measurements were made from samples taken at the same visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported smoking prevalence was 68% in the ABC and 14% in the TEC. Among the self-reported non-smokers, the median cotinine levels were higher in the ABC (33 ng/ml) than in the TEC (5 ng/ml), with greater percentages of reported non-smokers in the under 50 ng/ml group in the TEC than in the ABC CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of smoking was much higher in the ABC than in the TEC. The higher cotinine levels in ABC non-smokers may reflect an underestimated prevalence, but is also likely to reflect higher levels of passive smoking. A broader approach encompassing social, cultural and language factors with increased attention to smoking socialisation factors is required.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. mark.pearce@ncl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Kay D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Gurmeet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sayers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000652:urine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine