Changes in Tobacco Use, Susceptibility to Future Smoking, and Quit Attempts among Canadian Youth over Time: A Comparison of Off-Reserve Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Youth

Tara Elton-Marshall, Scott T. Leatherdale, Robin Burkhalter and K. Stephen Brown
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Tara Elton-Marshall: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Scott T. Leatherdale: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Robin Burkhalter: Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
K. Stephen Brown: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

IJERPH, 2013, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a growing inequity in tobacco use, susceptibility to future smoking, and quit attempts among Off-Reserve Aboriginal (ORA) youth in Canada relative to Non-Aboriginal youth. Current smoking, susceptibility to future smoking and quit attempts were examined among a nationally representative sample of ORA and Non-Aboriginal Canadian youth. Data are from cross-sectional surveys of 88,661 respondents in Grades 6 to 9 across the 2004, 2006 and 2008 survey waves of the Youth Smoking Survey (YSS). At each wave, ORA youth were more likely to be current smokers (overall OR = 3.91, 95% CI 3.47 to 4.41), to be susceptible to future smoking (overall OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.48), and less likely to have ever made a quit attempt compared to Non-Aboriginal youth (overall OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.96). Although susceptibility to future smoking declined for Non-Aboriginal youth, the prevalence of susceptibility remained stable among ORA youth. The percentage of ORA youth reporting making a quit attempt increased, however, current smoking rates among ORA youth did not decline. These findings suggest that the disparity in susceptibility to future tobacco use among ORA and Non-Aboriginal youth has increased over time. Despite increased rates of quit attempts, current smoking rates remain significantly higher among ORA youth. Tobacco control programs for Aboriginal youth should be a public health priority.

Keywords: aboriginal; adolescent; youth; smoking; quit attempts; smoking susceptibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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