Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Tobacco Use Patterns

Abstract

To provide a national depiction of Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) tobacco use and highlight considerations for targeted interventions. We analyzed data from the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey for subgroup differences in prevalence and consumption of various tobacco products. Use varies considerably by ethnic subgroups for cigarette smoking (including menthol) and other forms of tobacco. Despite being lighter, less frequent, and seemingly less dependent smokers, AANHPIs had similar quit ratios as non-AANHPIs. AA and NHPI disparities in tobacco use may be due to underutilization of cessation resources, including those for non-cigarette tobacco products, and lack of availability of culturally-appropriate resources. Community-based and regulatory approaches should be employed to reduce use of all tobacco products, especially among high prevalence subgroups.