Factors Associated With Smoking Cessation Attempts in Asthmatics

Asthma is a common disorder affecting about 8% of adults in the U.S. Smoking is one factor that is associated with exacerbations of the disease. Somewhat surprisingly, the smoking prevalence among asthmatics is about the same as for the general population. It would be helpful to understand the demographic characteristics associated with those asthmatics who are smokers and who attempt to quit in order to better design approaches to help with cessation. This study examined the data from the 2012 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Asthma Call-Back Survey (ACBS), specifically demographic data such as gender, education, race/ethnicity, employment and others, to see if there are common characteristics in those asthmatics who attempt smoking cessation. We found that the only two statistically significant demographic characteristics were education and race. However, about two-thirds of those who made an attempt had had an episode of asthma in the past year and were more likely to have sought emergency care for asthma. These findings may help design better programs to help those patients with asthma who smoke.