Prevalence of cigarette smoking in Hispanic women of childbearing age

A secondary analysis of Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data was conducted to determine the prevalence and degree of cigarette smoking among large probability samples of Cuban-American, Mexican-American, and Puerto Rican women of childbearing age. Percentages, means, and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine age-adjusted and age-specific rates for each Hispanic group. Age-adjusted smoking prevalence rates were 23.2%, 22.6%, and 33.5% for Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Puerto Ricans, respectively. Age-specific rates indicated that all Puerto Rican women under the age of 40, Mexican-American women in their 40's, and Cuban-American women in their 30's had smoking prevalences higher than the national average for women. Although most Hispanic women were relatively light smokers, prevention and cessation interventions need to be developed for Puerto Rican women of childbearing age who demonstrated high smoking prevalences.