Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
The International Journal of the Addictions, 27(10), 1131-1 135, 1992
Smokeless Tobacco Consumption in Grant County, New Mexico Linda C. Lopez, Ph.D. Department of Education and Psychology, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, New Mexico. 88061
ABSTRACT A telephone survey was conducted in order to assess the prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption in Grant County, New Mexico. Systematic random sampling was used, and 1 out of 25 phone numbers were selected from the county telephone directory. One hundred seventy-eight respondents were surveyed. Thirty-three percent of 96 males and 7% of 82 females identified themselves as smokeless tobacco users.
INTRODUCTION Although the southwestern United States is thought to be a primary market for smokeless tobacco, there is a lack of information about the extent of its use. Prevalence studies have been conducted with schoolchildren and college students. Harris and Ford (1988) for example, surveyed 204 male and female fifth graders attending rural schools in New Mexico. A third of the students indicated they tried chewing tobacco and 5% tried snuff (Harris and Ford, 1988). Schaefer et al. (1985) found 9% of a sixth through twelfth grade sample of 5,392 students in Texas chewed tobacco daily. Several investigations have been conducted with college students. Glover et al. (1986) reported that 27% of a sample of 314 male students and 2% of 328 female students attending college in Arizona were users of smokeless tobacco products. Lopez (1990) found 27% of a sample of 84 male students 1 I31
Copyright CC) 1992 by Marcel Dekker, Inc
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
I132
LOPEZ
attending a southwestern university consumed smokeless tobacco. However, 181 female respondents identified themselves as nonusers. Although there are indications that smokeless tobacco use is commonplace among male students attending colleges and universities in the southwest and is also used by some public school students from this region, little is known about the extent of use in the general population. Accordingly, a telephone survey was conducted of residents of Grant County, New Mexico. Grant County is a 3,969 square mile area in southwestern New Mexico with an estimated population of 28,400. Fifty percent of the residents are Mexican-American (Bureau of the Census, 1990).
METHODS A 1 in 25 systematic random telephone sampling was taken from the Grant County telephone directory. The town of Hachita was excluded because it was not within the local calling area of Silver City, the town from which this survey was conducted. Phone numbers which weren’t residential were excluded. The interviewers for this study were 18 students enrolled in a graduate level research methods class at Western New Mexico University. Interviewers were trained to make appropriate introductions and provided instruction on interviewing technique. Subjects were told that the caller was a student in a research methods class and that the survey was being conducted to learn more about the extent of smokeless tobacco consumption in Grant County. Students made an average of 14 calls during the fall 1990 semester. A total of 252 calls were made.
RESULTS One hundred seventy-eight respondents participated in this inquiry. This represents a 70% response. Phones for 11 numbers had been disconnected. There were 11 nonrespondents, and 51 calls were unanswered. The composition of the sample in terms of age and gender is presented in Table 1. Subjects were asked if they used smokeless tobacco and their age. Thirtythree percent of the males and 7 % of the females used smokeless tobacco (Table 2). Female rates of smokeless tobacco consumption were higher than those of males for individuals younger than 24. Male rates were higher for other age groups.
DISCUSSION As in previous studies (Glover et al., 1986; Lopez, 1990), males in general were more prone to consume smokeless tobacco than females (Table 3). The
I I33
SMOKELESS TOBACCO CONSUMPTION
Table 1. Percent Composition of Survey Respondents by Age and Gender
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
Gender
< I8 18-24 25-34 35-44 >45 Age not disclosed Total N
Male
Female
2 .o 3.4 8.0 14.0 23 4.5
2.2 3.9 6.7 6.7 20.0 3.9 __ 43.0 82
54.9 96
Sex not identified
1.7
1.7
Total
4.2 7.3 14.7 20.7 44.7 8.4 100 I78
generalizability of these findings is limited because the number of respondents in some of the agelgender categories was low and because some Grant County residences are not accessible by phone. Nevertheless, they do provide a preliminary indication that smokeless tobacco consumption is not limited to male college and university students. The incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption was high among males between the ages of 25 and 44. In fact, the 33% incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption for the male subsample is high in relation to prevalence studies conducted in other parts of the United States. Findings from surveys conducted between 1964 and 1975 indicate that less than 5 % of the male population reported using smokeless tobacco (Advisory Committee of the Surgeon General, 1986, p. 10).
Table 2. Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco Use by Age and Gender Gender
Male
Age
< I8 18-24 25-34 35-44 >45 Total N
.20 .27 .57 .45 .2 1
-
Female
.25 .II
.o I
.oo
.04 .I5
.I25 ,057
-
.33 96
.07 82
Total
.03
.06 .2 1 178
" S N = snuff C T = chewing tobacco.
I985
I985
I984
1983
1982
United States old males
> 16-year-
15,ooO-
Adults > 18
United States
I980
Bureau of the Census
77 ,000
> 17
United States
I970
National Center for Health Statistics Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc.
1981
144
Adolescents
Alaska, Washington
1987
Schinke et al
120,ooO
19,000
280
Adults
North Carolina
1987
Sample size
Glover et al
tY Pe
Subject
area
Year
Author(s)
Geographical
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Personal interview
Telephone survey Questionnaire
Method
x
x
X
x
x
X
X
x X
CT
SN
Smokeless Tobacco Consumption: Selected Factors and Studiesa
Table 3.
3.7 males 0.8 females 4.2 males 1 . 1 females 3.8 males 0.9 females 3.0 males I .O females 3.2 males 0.7 females 1.9% used snuff 3.9% used chewing tobacco
0.8 females 2.4 males
40% males 9% females 46.2% males 19% female I .4% males used snuff 3.8% used chewing tobacco
Prevalence of habitual smokeless use
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
m
5
N
SMOKELESS TOBACCO CONSUMPTION
1135
Since smokeless tobacco use has been linked to oral cancer (Christen, 1980), users and potential users should be informed about the possible consequences of smokeless tobacco use.
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
REFERENCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE SURGEON GENERAL (1986). 7he Health Consequences of Using Smokeless Tobacco. Bethesda, Maryland: US. Department of Health and Human Services. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS (1990). Census of Population, Social and Economic Characteristics, New Mexico. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. CHRISTEN, A. G. (1980). The case against smokeless tobacco: Five facts for the health professional to consider. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 101:464-469. GLOVER, E. D., JOHNSON, R., LAFLIN, M., EDWARDS, S. W., and CHRISTEN, A. G. (1986). Smokeless tobacco trends among college students in the United States. World Smoking Health 1 I :4-9. GLOVER, E. D., O'BRIEN, K., and HOLBERT, D. (1987). Prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in Pitt County, North Carolina. In!. J Addict. 22:557-565. HARRIS, M. B., and FORD, V. L. (1988). Tobacco use in a fifth-grade Southwestern sample. J . Early Adolesc. 8:83-96. LOPEZ, L. C. (1990). Smokeless tobacco consumption at a Southwestern University. Psychol. Rep. 61:225-226. NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS (1970). National Health Interview Survey 1970. Unpublished. SCHAEFER, S. D., HENDERSON, A. H., GLOVER, E. D., and CHRISTEN, A. G. (1985). Patterns of use and incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption in school age children. Arch. Otolaryngol. I 1 I :639-642. SCHINKE, S. P., SCHILLING, R. F., GILCHRIST, L. D., ASHBY, M. R., and KITAJIMA, E. K. (1987). Pacific Northwest Native American youth and smokeless tobacco use. Int. J. Addict. 22:881-884. SIMMON MARKET RESEARCH BUREAU, INC. (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985). Study of Media und Markets.
THE AUTHOR Linda C. Lopez, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Western New Mexico University. She received her Ph.D. in educational and developmental psychology from the Ohio State University. Dr. Lopez has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, The State University of New York at Oneonta, and Rockford College. Her articles have been published in various journals.
The International Journal of the Addictions, 27(10), 1131-1 135, 1992
Smokeless Tobacco Consumption in Grant County, New Mexico Linda C. Lopez, Ph.D. Department of Education and Psychology, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, New Mexico. 88061
ABSTRACT A telephone survey was conducted in order to assess the prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption in Grant County, New Mexico. Systematic random sampling was used, and 1 out of 25 phone numbers were selected from the county telephone directory. One hundred seventy-eight respondents were surveyed. Thirty-three percent of 96 males and 7% of 82 females identified themselves as smokeless tobacco users.
INTRODUCTION Although the southwestern United States is thought to be a primary market for smokeless tobacco, there is a lack of information about the extent of its use. Prevalence studies have been conducted with schoolchildren and college students. Harris and Ford (1988) for example, surveyed 204 male and female fifth graders attending rural schools in New Mexico. A third of the students indicated they tried chewing tobacco and 5% tried snuff (Harris and Ford, 1988). Schaefer et al. (1985) found 9% of a sixth through twelfth grade sample of 5,392 students in Texas chewed tobacco daily. Several investigations have been conducted with college students. Glover et al. (1986) reported that 27% of a sample of 314 male students and 2% of 328 female students attending college in Arizona were users of smokeless tobacco products. Lopez (1990) found 27% of a sample of 84 male students 1 I31
Copyright CC) 1992 by Marcel Dekker, Inc
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
I132
LOPEZ
attending a southwestern university consumed smokeless tobacco. However, 181 female respondents identified themselves as nonusers. Although there are indications that smokeless tobacco use is commonplace among male students attending colleges and universities in the southwest and is also used by some public school students from this region, little is known about the extent of use in the general population. Accordingly, a telephone survey was conducted of residents of Grant County, New Mexico. Grant County is a 3,969 square mile area in southwestern New Mexico with an estimated population of 28,400. Fifty percent of the residents are Mexican-American (Bureau of the Census, 1990).
METHODS A 1 in 25 systematic random telephone sampling was taken from the Grant County telephone directory. The town of Hachita was excluded because it was not within the local calling area of Silver City, the town from which this survey was conducted. Phone numbers which weren’t residential were excluded. The interviewers for this study were 18 students enrolled in a graduate level research methods class at Western New Mexico University. Interviewers were trained to make appropriate introductions and provided instruction on interviewing technique. Subjects were told that the caller was a student in a research methods class and that the survey was being conducted to learn more about the extent of smokeless tobacco consumption in Grant County. Students made an average of 14 calls during the fall 1990 semester. A total of 252 calls were made.
RESULTS One hundred seventy-eight respondents participated in this inquiry. This represents a 70% response. Phones for 11 numbers had been disconnected. There were 11 nonrespondents, and 51 calls were unanswered. The composition of the sample in terms of age and gender is presented in Table 1. Subjects were asked if they used smokeless tobacco and their age. Thirtythree percent of the males and 7 % of the females used smokeless tobacco (Table 2). Female rates of smokeless tobacco consumption were higher than those of males for individuals younger than 24. Male rates were higher for other age groups.
DISCUSSION As in previous studies (Glover et al., 1986; Lopez, 1990), males in general were more prone to consume smokeless tobacco than females (Table 3). The
I I33
SMOKELESS TOBACCO CONSUMPTION
Table 1. Percent Composition of Survey Respondents by Age and Gender
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
Gender
< I8 18-24 25-34 35-44 >45 Age not disclosed Total N
Male
Female
2 .o 3.4 8.0 14.0 23 4.5
2.2 3.9 6.7 6.7 20.0 3.9 __ 43.0 82
54.9 96
Sex not identified
1.7
1.7
Total
4.2 7.3 14.7 20.7 44.7 8.4 100 I78
generalizability of these findings is limited because the number of respondents in some of the agelgender categories was low and because some Grant County residences are not accessible by phone. Nevertheless, they do provide a preliminary indication that smokeless tobacco consumption is not limited to male college and university students. The incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption was high among males between the ages of 25 and 44. In fact, the 33% incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption for the male subsample is high in relation to prevalence studies conducted in other parts of the United States. Findings from surveys conducted between 1964 and 1975 indicate that less than 5 % of the male population reported using smokeless tobacco (Advisory Committee of the Surgeon General, 1986, p. 10).
Table 2. Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco Use by Age and Gender Gender
Male
Age
< I8 18-24 25-34 35-44 >45 Total N
.20 .27 .57 .45 .2 1
-
Female
.25 .II
.o I
.oo
.04 .I5
.I25 ,057
-
.33 96
.07 82
Total
.03
.06 .2 1 178
" S N = snuff C T = chewing tobacco.
I985
I985
I984
1983
1982
United States old males
> 16-year-
15,ooO-
Adults > 18
United States
I980
Bureau of the Census
77 ,000
> 17
United States
I970
National Center for Health Statistics Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc.
1981
144
Adolescents
Alaska, Washington
1987
Schinke et al
120,ooO
19,000
280
Adults
North Carolina
1987
Sample size
Glover et al
tY Pe
Subject
area
Year
Author(s)
Geographical
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Personal interview
Telephone survey Questionnaire
Method
x
x
X
x
x
X
X
x X
CT
SN
Smokeless Tobacco Consumption: Selected Factors and Studiesa
Table 3.
3.7 males 0.8 females 4.2 males 1 . 1 females 3.8 males 0.9 females 3.0 males I .O females 3.2 males 0.7 females 1.9% used snuff 3.9% used chewing tobacco
0.8 females 2.4 males
40% males 9% females 46.2% males 19% female I .4% males used snuff 3.8% used chewing tobacco
Prevalence of habitual smokeless use
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
m
5
N
SMOKELESS TOBACCO CONSUMPTION
1135
Since smokeless tobacco use has been linked to oral cancer (Christen, 1980), users and potential users should be informed about the possible consequences of smokeless tobacco use.
Subst Use Misuse Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 11/10/14 For personal use only.
REFERENCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE SURGEON GENERAL (1986). 7he Health Consequences of Using Smokeless Tobacco. Bethesda, Maryland: US. Department of Health and Human Services. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS (1990). Census of Population, Social and Economic Characteristics, New Mexico. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. CHRISTEN, A. G. (1980). The case against smokeless tobacco: Five facts for the health professional to consider. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 101:464-469. GLOVER, E. D., JOHNSON, R., LAFLIN, M., EDWARDS, S. W., and CHRISTEN, A. G. (1986). Smokeless tobacco trends among college students in the United States. World Smoking Health 1 I :4-9. GLOVER, E. D., O'BRIEN, K., and HOLBERT, D. (1987). Prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in Pitt County, North Carolina. In!. J Addict. 22:557-565. HARRIS, M. B., and FORD, V. L. (1988). Tobacco use in a fifth-grade Southwestern sample. J . Early Adolesc. 8:83-96. LOPEZ, L. C. (1990). Smokeless tobacco consumption at a Southwestern University. Psychol. Rep. 61:225-226. NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS (1970). National Health Interview Survey 1970. Unpublished. SCHAEFER, S. D., HENDERSON, A. H., GLOVER, E. D., and CHRISTEN, A. G. (1985). Patterns of use and incidence of smokeless tobacco consumption in school age children. Arch. Otolaryngol. I 1 I :639-642. SCHINKE, S. P., SCHILLING, R. F., GILCHRIST, L. D., ASHBY, M. R., and KITAJIMA, E. K. (1987). Pacific Northwest Native American youth and smokeless tobacco use. Int. J. Addict. 22:881-884. SIMMON MARKET RESEARCH BUREAU, INC. (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985). Study of Media und Markets.
THE AUTHOR Linda C. Lopez, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Western New Mexico University. She received her Ph.D. in educational and developmental psychology from the Ohio State University. Dr. Lopez has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, The State University of New York at Oneonta, and Rockford College. Her articles have been published in various journals.
