Culture and smoking among Vietnamese Americans in central Massachusetts

The study was conducted (a) to assess use of any smoking cessation medications, (b) to identify factors associated with smoking, and (c) to assess knowledge of the health effects of smoking and attitudes toward smoking and seeking help for quitting among Vietnamese Americans. This is a descriptive study conducted with a nonrepresentative sample of 163 Vietnamese Americans. Current and former smokers constituted 24.4% and 25.6% of men and 1.2% and 3.5% of women, respectively. Of 20 current smokers, 17 (85%) reported use of cessation medications in their past quit attempts. Acculturation was the only significant correlate of ever smoking (vs. never smoking) in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Men who were less acculturated had more than 5 times the odds of being ever smokers (odds ratio = 5.33, 95% confidence interval = 1.37-20.78) compared with more acculturated men. Most participants had correct knowledge of the health effects of smoking regardless of age, education level, and smoking status. Attitudes toward smoking differed by age and education level but not by smoking status. Nurses working with Vietnamese Americans should be aware of the high rate of smoking among male immigrants and provide smoking cessation interventions.