Social heterogeneity in smoking among African Americans

Objectives. This study assessed the effects of sociodemographic variables on the smoking behavior of African Americans. Methods. Data for 14397 African-American respondents (18-64 years old) to the National Health Interview Survey in the years 1990 through 1993 were examined in multivariate models. Results. Age was the strongest predictor of smoking, and men were at least 1.75 times as likely as women to be smokers (P<.001). Conclusions. The Year 2000 goal of an 18% prevalence rate among African-American adults may not be attained without major community interventions focusing on male and middle-aged African Americans.