Tobacco use and impact of tobacco-free policy on university employees in an environment of high tobacco use and production

Sreenivas P. Veeranki,Yi He,Hadii M. Mamudu

doi:10.1007/s12199-012-0297-3

Sreenivas P. Veeranki, Yi He + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-012-0297-3

Copy DOI

Abstract

To assess occupational tobacco use and the impact of a tobacco-free policy in the Central Appalachia, an environment characterized by high tobacco use and production. This study was an Internet-based survey conducted on 2,318 university employees. Descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression statistics were performed. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. The survey response rate was 50.8%; of the respondents, 9.0% were current smokers. Smoking prevalence among faculty, administrators/professionals, and clerical/support staff was 6.1, 8.1, and 13.1%, respectively. While those respondents aged 30-39years showed a significantly increased likelihood of being a current smoker (AOR 5.64, 95% CI 1.31-9.26), knowledge that secondhand smoke is harmful (AOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.70) and support for tobacco-free policy (AOR 0.11, 95% CI 0.04-0.27) decreased the likelihood. Low tobacco use among faculty and administrators confirmed the relationship between tobacco use and socio-economic status, even in a tobacco-producing environment. Disaggregation of tobacco use data assists the public health community in the efficient allocation of efforts and resources for cessation programs to reduce tobacco use in such environments.

Highlights

Adult smoking rates across the four states in Central Appalachia [24.8 % for Kentucky (KY), 20.1 % for Tennessee (TN) and 26.8 % for West Virginia (WV)] are above the national average (19.3 % in 2010), except for Virginia (VA; 18.5 %) [1]
Low tobacco use among faculty and administrators confirmed the relationship between tobacco use and socio-economic status, even in a tobacco-producing environment
Since information on tobacco use among population subgroups is sparse, this study focused on delineating the key determinants of usage among people in the same occupational setting, i.e., personnel of a university

Summary

Introduction

Adult smoking rates across the four states in Central Appalachia [24.8 % for Kentucky (KY), 20.1 % for Tennessee (TN) and 26.8 % for West Virginia (WV)] are above the national average (19.3 % in 2010), except for Virginia (VA; 18.5 %) [1]. The decline in tobacco use over the past decades in the USA has slowed [1], partly due to the prevalence of high tobacco use in places such as the Central Appalachia. This means that to attain the Healthy People 2020 goal of a 12 % national adult smoking rate [5]—from the current smoking prevalence rate of 19.3 % [1]—a drastic decline in tobacco use in the Central Appalachia will be required. The existing data are mostly based on aggregates, limiting insight into tobacco use among population segments in this region and how the high usage rate can be curbed

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion