Higher prevalence of cigarette smoking and lower rates of smoking cessation among rural Americans than among urban residents

Higher prevalence of cigarette smoking and lower rates of smoking cessation among rural Americans than among urban residents

Cigarette smoking is more common among Americans living in rural areas, and they also have a harder time quitting than city dwellers, according to a study involving researchers at Rutgers.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that the prevalence of smoking was higher in rural areas than in urban areas - 19.2 percent versus 14.4 percent. While the number of smokers who quit in 2020 was similar in rural and urban areas - 52.9 percent versus 53.9 percent - the odds of quitting between 2010 and 2020 were 75 percent lower in rural areas than in urban areas.

Higher prevalence of cigarette smoking and lower rates of smoking cessation in rural populations have resulted in higher rates of smoking-attributable cancer incidence and death in rural areas compared to urban residents. Tobacco cessation is therefore a highly effective target for cancer prevention efforts in rural populations.”

Andrea Villati, study co-author, associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at Rutgers School of Public Health and associate director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies

The study used data from the US Department of Health and Human Services' 2010-2020 National Survey on Drug Use to analyze adults who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, which they defined as lifetime cigarette smoking. Current smoking was defined as smoking one or more cigarettes in the past month and past smoking as no cigarettes in the past year. Total and annual quit rates were estimated as proportions of former smokers to lifetime smokers.

The researchers found that of the 161,348 lifetime cigarette smokers analyzed, 33.5 percent were former smokers.

According to the researchers, the findings support the existence of a persistent urban-rural disparity, which may reflect the fact that residents of rural areas may face more barriers to using smoking cessation services than urban residents or may be at an earlier stage of motivation to quit smoking.

They suggest that a clinical, health system, or population-level smoking intervention could improve the reach and sustainability of cessation services for rural residents. Tobacco cessation resources, including telephone hotlines and telemedicine counseling, could also reduce barriers to accessing tobacco treatment for rural residents.

The study team was led by Indiana University and included researchers from Yeshiva University.

Source:

Rutgers University

Reference:

Parker, MA, et al. (2022) Trends in Rural and Urban Cigarette Smoking Ratios in the US From 2010 to 2020. JAMA Network Open. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.25326.

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