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Smoking, acculturation and family cohesion in Mexican-American women
D V Coonrod1, H Balcazar, J Brady
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA. dean.coonrod@hcs.maricopa.gov
Objective:
To compare the characteristics of smokers and non-smokers in a setting that includes predominately Mexican-American women, with particular attention to acculturation, nativity and family cohesion.
Design:
Cross-sectional survey in a public hospital women's clinic.
Methods:
A self-administered survey was completed by gynecologic patients. It assessed: demographics, acculturation, birthplace and family cohesion. Comparisons of ever/never smokers and current/non-smokers were made using chi-square tests. Stratified analysis was used to assess for confounding.
Results:
Smoking was very common in the white non-Hispanic group (ever smoking 86%, current smoking 70%). High rates were also seen among certain subgroups of Mexican-American women: US-born (ever smoking 65%, current smoking 44%), high acculturation (ever smoking 57%, current smoking 40%) and those with less cohesive families (ever smoking 67%, current smoking 67%). Stratified analysis revealed that place of birth and family cohesion, controlling one for the other, had adjusted prevalence ratios for current smoking of 3.7 (95% CI 1.5, 9.0) and 3.2 (95% CI 1.3, 8.1) respectively.
Conclusion:
Very high rates of smoking were observed among white non-Hispanic patients and certain subgroups of Latino subjects in this population. In Latinos, being US-born and having membership in a less cohesive family unit were independently associated with smoking.