Who Smokes and Who Quits? (focus on social class) Elizabeth M. Barbeau, ScD, MPH Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard School of Pubic Health

Key points on social class and quitting The prevalence of quit attempts by various measures of social class (education, occupation, income) do not show much of a gradient. Success in quitting, however, is inversely related to social class. So, too, is the use of cessation aids.

Quitting Attempts and Success by Education -- NHIS 2000 Source: Trosclair et al, 2002

Quitting Attempts and Success by Income -- NHIS 2000 Source: Trosclair et al, 2002

Quit Attempts and Success by Occupation -- NHIS, 1997 Data Source: National Health Interview Survey, 1997; Giovino et al, 2002 n = 25,831

Research Question We Will Pursue Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are less successful in quitting, despite similar rates of quit attempts. Can this lower rate of success be accounted for by lower use of cessation aids?

Prevalence of use of tobacco cessation aids among adult smokers who attempted to quit for one day or longer, by education, NHIS Source: V. Cokkinides, 2005, personal communication

Prevalence of use of tobacco cessation aids among adult smokers who attempted to quit for one day or longer, by annual household income, NHIS—2000 Source: V. Cokkinides, 2005, personal communication