Using the National Health Interview Survey to understand and address the impact of tobacco in the United States: past perspectives and future considerations
2008

Understanding Tobacco Use in the U.S. Through National Health Interview Survey Data

Sample size: 87500 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Cathy L Backinger, Deirdre Lawrence, Judith Swan, Deborah M Winn, Nancy Breen, Anne Hartman, Rachel Grana, David Tran, Samantha Farrell

Primary Institution: National Cancer Institute

Conclusion

NHIS data provide valuable insights for practitioners and researchers to inform future tobacco control research and programs.

Supporting Evidence

  • NHIS has been conducted annually since 1957, sampling about 35,000 households each year.
  • The survey has provided data on smoking prevalence, attitudes, and health consequences.
  • NHIS data can be linked with other datasets for comprehensive health analysis.
  • Data collection is done through personal interviews with trained interviewers.
  • NHIS includes tobacco-related questions since 1965, allowing for trend analysis.

Takeaway

This study looks at how a big survey helps us understand smoking and tobacco use in America, so we can make better plans to help people quit.

Methodology

The study involved literature searches in the PubMed database and analysis of tobacco-related data from the NHIS.

Potential Biases

Self-reported data may lead to underestimates of tobacco use and inaccuracies in smoking behavior reporting.

Limitations

The NHIS does not collect certain data needed for some tobacco-related research and omits institutionalized individuals.

Participant Demographics

The NHIS samples the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the U.S., oversampling Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1742-5573-5-8

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