Abstract PO-012: Demographic factors and rural residence history associated with smoking history

Purpose: Smoking rates are higher in rural regions compared to urban regions. Given the mobility within the United States, rural norms around tobacco use may persist even after individuals move to urban areas. Little research is available regarding the difference in smoking history by demographics and rural residence history. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of age, race, gender, and rural residence history on smoking history. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we surveyed 1,786 adults using two sampling approaches: representative panels and a community-engaged sample. Participants were asked to complete the Florida Health and Ancestry Study (FHAS) survey through a link or by the phone with a research assistant. The smoking history question asked whether participants had smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime (yes/no). The rural residence question asked participants to indicate (yes/no) whether they have lived in a rural or farming community, or on a farm. We examined associations of smoking history with demographic variables using the Chi-square test and logistic regression including as predictors age group (young=18-30, middle age=31-50, old=51+ years), gender, race, and rural living by gender. Results: Participants were mostly White (16% Black, 84% White), female (47% male) and with a mean age around 50 years (mean 47.9±17.5 years, ranged 18 to 91). 36% of the sample reported a history of rural residence, and 51% reported that they had not smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. A larger proportion of males (61%) smoked at least 100 cigarettes compared to females (37%) (p<.001). A significantly larger proportion of White participants (50%) smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime than Black participants (39%) (p=.001). A larger proportion of participants who had lived in a rural place (53%) had smoked at least 100 cigarettes compared to those who had not lived in a rural place (46%) (p=.005). Difference in mean age for those with or without a history of smoking 100 cigarettes was not statistically significant in this sample (p=.12). Logistic regression analysis revealed that relative to the old age group, the young age group was less likely (p<.001) and the middle age group was more likely (p=.002) to have smoked 100 cigarettes. Males (p<.001) were more likely to have smoked 100 cigarettes than females. Rural residence was associated with smoking among females (p<.001) but not among males (p=.70). Adjusting for other predictors, the association with race was not statistically significant in this sample (p=.06). Conclusion: Findings that the age group 18-30 years is more likely to have avoided becoming smokers is encouraging but must be analyzed more thoroughly relative to possible use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. To reduce individuals becoming smokers, we recommend increased cancer control efforts targeted to males in general and to females with a rural residence history. Additional research is planned to examine additional smoking variables and compare them to national data. Citation Format: Tyra Reed, Destiny Gordon, Brenda W. Dyal, Keesha Powell-Roach, Miriam O. Ezenwa, Versie Johnson-Mallard, Janice L. Krieger, Folakemi T. Odedina, Yingwei Yao, Diana J. Wilkie. Demographic factors and rural residence history associated with smoking history [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-012.