To compare the prevalence of current smoking in the U. S. diabetic population with that of the nondiabetic population.
Using data from the 1989 National Health Interview Survey—a nationally representative sample—we calculated the prevalence of current smoking for 2,405 people with self-reported diabetes and 20,131 people without this condition.
Overall, the age-adjusted prevalence of smoking was 27.3% among people with diabetes and 25.9% among people without diabetes. The prevalence of smoking did not differ significantly between participants with and without diabetes when they were stratified by age, sex, race, or education. Black and Hispanic men with diabetes had a higher prevalence of smoking than did white men with diabetes and black and Hispanic men without diabetes, but none of these differences were statistically significant. Among people with diabetes, age, race, sex, and educational status were independent predictors of current smoking in a multiple-logistic regression model. Duration of diabetes was not related to smoking.
These data again emphasize the need to prevent and reduce smoking in the diabetic population. Smoking cessation programs should particularly target people with diabetes who are ≤44 years of age. Black and Hispanic men are also prime targets for intervention efforts.
