title: Comparison of native light daily smokers and light daily smokers who were former heavy smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing proportion of daily smokers are light smokers (≤10 cigarettes per day). Some light smokers have never smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day (native light smokers) and others smoked at higher levels but have cut down (converted light smokers). It is important that we expand our understanding of these distinct subgroups of light smokers in order to develop effective interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this report come from a larger sample of smokers who completed a cross-sectional survey administered through an online panel survey service. The sample of 522 light smokers included 256 native light smokers and 266 as converted light smokers. The goal of the analysis was to examine demographic, smoking, and psychosocial factors that differentiate between native and converted light smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariable logistic regression results showed 4 variables that differentiated between native and converted light smokers. Native light smokers were more likely to be Black than White, smoke fewer cigarettes per day, smoked fewer total years, and had higher perceived risk of heart disease than converted light smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Native and converted light smokers are similar in many ways and also differ on some important characteristics. Further exploration of group difference is needed and could help to inform for cessation strategies for daily light smokers.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Population Sciences and Community and Family Medicine, Duke University, Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; laura.fish@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Population Sciences and Community and Family Medicine, Duke University, Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC;
authors.forename: Kathryn I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS;
authors.forename: Taneisha S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS;
authors.forename: Lisa Sanderson
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN;
authors.forename: Charu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Equity and Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D044465:White People