Smoking in Oklahoma: the seven-year trend

The serious health consequences of smoking have been known to us for more than 30 years. Every year, research brings forth more serious consequences of this risk factor. These are reviewed by us. The year 2000 will soon be with us. We need to know where we stand in relation to the year 2000 objectives with regard to smoking.

The study design is cross-sectional.

This study is based on the data obtained during the years 1989 through 1995 from the Oklahoma Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

There has been a significant decrease in the prevalence of smoking in Oklahoma in the last seven years. Although there has been no significant change in smoking among females in the last seven years, smoking among males has dropped significantly, especially in the last two years of the study, 1994 and 1995. The prevalence of smoking in 1995 was the same among males and females, at about 22%. In age groups 18-24 and 25-34, there has been no significant change in smoking since 1990. The prevalence of smoking is related to the level of education; the higher the education the lower the prevalence of smoking. Smoking among those with college or higher level education has remained at about the same level, 15%, in the last seven years. Among those with less than high school education, smoking has remained the same at about 30% over the last seven years. Prevalence of smoking is the highest among American Indians. Smoking among whites (non-Hispanic) shows a significant decrease from about 26% in 1990-91 to about 22% in 1994-95. Among white males, smoking has significantly dropped from 31% in 1989 to about 22% in 1995. In 1995, smoking was almost the same in the two sexes at about 22%. We need to achieve a reduction of 7% in the overall prevalence rate of smoking in the coming years to achieve the Year 2000 objective. To effect this reduction, our efforts at health promotion and community mobilization will have to be strengthened. Further, with the prevalence rate of around 25% in 1995 among women of reproductive age, and the year 2000 target of 12%, it is apparent that very strenuous efforts will have to be made among this group in our population to achieve Year 2000 objectives.