Active and passive smoking among asthmatic Missourians: implications for health education

To estimate the prevalence of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke among asthmatic Missourians and to describe associated predisposing factors.

The Missouri County-level Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, conducted among 15,059 non-institutionalized Missourians aged 18 years or older using random-digit-dialed telephone interviews during 2002-2003, was used in this study.

Current smoking (28.4%) and regular exposure to secondhand smoke (19.9%-36.4%, depending on the setting) were prevalent among asthmatic Missourians. Among asthmatics, those with college or technical school education were less likely to be current smokers compared to those with less than a high school education [odds ratio (OR)=0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11, 0.57]; African Americans were less likely to be current smokers than white (OR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.83); however, among asthmatic non-current smokers, African Americans were more likely to expose to secondhand smoke one or more days per week inside home than whites. Of the asthmatic current smokers who had visited a physician in the past 12 months, 30.0% were not advised by health care professionals to quit smoking.

Asthma intervention programs should strengthen smoking cessation components and should educate health care professionals about the importance of advising asthmatic patients to quit smoking.