TRENDS IN CIGARETTE-SMOKING AMONG CHILDREN IN A SOUTHERN COMMUNITY, 1976-1994 - THE BOGALUSA HEART-STUDY

Cigarette smoking among adolescents continues to be a major public hea lth problem in the United States. Smoking trends from 1976-1977 to 199 2-1994 were examined in the Bogalusa Heart Study, an investigation of cardiovascular disease risk factors among black and white, male and fe male adolescents in a semirural town in the southern United States. Ag e-race-sex specific chi(2) tests for trends over five survey periods w ere conducted. In almost every age group, black boys and girls were le ss likely to be current smokers or to have ever smoked or tried cigare ttes, as compared with white boys and girls, respectively (P < 0.01). Within age groups, few significant trends in smoking status from 1976- 1977 through 1992-1994 were observed among white boys and girls. Among black males and females, however, sharp decreases were observed among all age groups iri the Prevalence of having ever smoked or tried ciga rettes (P = 0.0001) and among the older age groups in the prevalence o f being a current smoker (P = 0.0001). Thus, substantial declines in t he prevalence of smoking were observed among black children but not am ong white children. Further research is required to understand why the se ethnic differences in smoking occurred so that public health progra ms may target further the smoking behaviors in children. (C) 1996 by E lsevier Science Inc.