Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Consistent Reporting of Smoking-Related Behaviors
Julia N Soulakova1, Huang Huang1, Lisa J Crockett2
1Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA.
Journal of Addictive Behaviors, Therapy & Rehabilitation
|April 19, 2016
Summary
Hispanics and Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks show less consistent smoking behavior reporting than NH Whites. New survey methods are needed to improve data quality for racial/ethnic minorities in national surveys.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Survey Methodology
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Reliable self-reported data is crucial for understanding smoking behaviors and informing public health interventions.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated how race/ethnicity influences the consistency of self-reported smoking data.
- Understanding reporting inconsistencies is vital for accurate epidemiological studies and targeted health policies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of race/ethnicity on the consistency of self-reported smoking behaviors.
- To identify specific smoking measures where reporting reliability differs across racial/ethnic groups.
- To inform the development of improved survey designs for diverse populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, a test-retest reliability study.
- Analyzed self-reported data on ever smoking, time since smoking cessation, and age of smoking initiation.
- Compared reporting consistency across three subpopulations: Hispanics, Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, and NH Whites.
Main Results:
- NH Whites generally reported smoking measures more consistently than Hispanics and NH Blacks.
- Hispanics were significantly more likely (1.8 times) to inconsistently report their age of regular smoking initiation compared to NH Whites.
- The influence of race/ethnicity on reporting inconsistency can be moderated by factors like age and employment status (e.g., non-employed NH Blacks were 1.9 times more likely to recant ever smoking).
Conclusions:
- Race/ethnicity is a significant factor influencing the reliability of self-reported smoking data.
- Hispanics and NH Blacks demonstrate lower reporting consistency, necessitating tailored survey strategies.
- Developing innovative survey designs and engagement methods is essential to enhance data quality and representation among racial/ethnic minority groups in national health surveys.
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