Cigarette smoking in Wisconsin: the influence of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomics.

A disparate burden of cigarette use has been demonstrated among demographic subgroups both in the United States and Wisconsin. We examined patterns of adult current smoking prevalence in Wisconsin by race, Hispanic ethnicity, household income, and education to assess whether differences exist among these subgroups. This analysis revealed a strong graded relationship between household income, education, and smoking prevalence, consistent among non-Hispanic whites and blacks, though not Hispanics. Respondents with less than a high school education had significantly higher smoking prevalence rates (41%) than those with a college degree or more (13%). Smoking prevalence rates did not significantly differ between the race and ethnicity subgroups overall, or by gender and education, although they differed in some age and income subgroups. Possible explanations for the socioeconomic gradient include differences in tobacco product marketing practices, indoor workplace smoking policies, and access to health information, resources, and consistent, high-quality health care.