title: Determinants of Light and Intermittent Smoking in the United States: Results from Three Pooled National Health Surveys.
abstract: Light and/or intermittent smokers have been the fastest growing segment of cigarette smokers in the United States over the past two decades. Defining their behavioral characteristics is a critical public health priority.
  
  
  
  Our sample included 78,229 U.S. adults from three pooled contemporary population-based surveys: the 2012 NHIS, 2012 NSDUH, and 2011-2012 NHANES. We classified current smokers into four categories (light and intermittent [LITS], light-daily, heavier-intermittent, and heavier-daily) and assessed smoking behaviors, illicit drug use, and mental health indicators using weighted analyses.
  
  
  
  Analyses associated smoking categories with nicotine dependence, age of smoking initiation, race/ethnicity, and other demographic and behavioral factors. Compared with heavier-daily smokers, smokers who were LITS were most likely to have mild or no nicotine dependence (weighted odds ratio [OR], 16.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.10-21.85), to start smoking cigarettes regularly after age 21 (OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 2.84-4.12), and to be Hispanic (OR, 5.38; 95% CI, 4.38-6.61). Additional significant results were found for other categories of smokers.
  
  
  
  Based on pooled data from three large national surveys, light and/or intermittent smokers differed in smoking, drug use, and mental health behaviors from heavier-daily, former, and never smokers. Notable differences by level of smoking frequency and intensity were observed for nicotine dependence, age of smoking initiation, and race/ethnicity.
  
  
  
  Our results may help focus preventive measures and policies for the growing number of light and/or intermittent smokers in the United States because smoking patterns vary by behavioral and socioeconomic factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(2); 228-39. ©2016 AACR.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, Rockville, Maryland. reyesguzmancm@mail.nih.gov.|Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Carolyn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Reyes-Guzman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Neal D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Sean D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cleary
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Caporaso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult