\u201cCigarette smoking prevalence is higher in rural than urban US communities, and that disparity has only increased over time,\u201d says Maria Parker, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. \u201cWe wanted to see if\u00a0quit ratios<\/a>\u00a0might account for some of rural vs. urban area smoking disparity, beyond a higher smoking prevalence.\u201d<\/p>

Using deidentified data from the US Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 2010-20 National Survey on Drug Use, the researchers analyzed adults who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime, which they defined as lifetime cigarette smoking.<\/p>

Current smoking was defined as smoking one or more cigarettes in the past month, and former smoking as no cigarettes in the past year. Overall and annual quit ratios were estimated as proportions of former smokers among lifetime smokers.<\/p>

The researchers found that of the 161,348 lifetime cigarette smokers analyzed, 33.5% were former smokers.<\/p>

In 2020, current smoking prevalence was higher in rural than urban areas\u201419.2% vs 14.4%. Quit ratios were similar in rural and urban areas, at 52.9% and 53.9%, respectively.<\/p>

However, from 2010 to 2020, the odds of quitting smoking were 75% lower in rural areas compared to urban ones. Over time, smoking quit ratios among both rural and urban populations increased.<\/p>

\u201cOur findings support that a persistent rural\/urban disparity exists,\u201d Parker says. \u201cNot only were smoking prevalence estimates higher in rural areas, but quit ratios were lower in rural areas than urban areas. Rural residents may face more barriers to using smoking cessation services than urban residents, or they may be in an earlier stage of motivation to quit.\u201d<\/p>

Smoking intervention at the clinical setting, health system, or population level might improve reach and sustainability of cessation services for rural residents. Parker says that leveraging existing smoking quit lines and\u00a0telehealth<\/a>\u00a0solutions may also help rural residents by minimizing barriers to access.<\/p>

Read the full article about cigarette smoking in rural areas by Andrea Zeek at Futurity.Read the full article<\/a><\/button><\/p>","excerpt":"From 2010 to 2020, a larger proportion of rural Americans smoked cigarettes\u2014and their odds of quitting smoking were lower\u2014compared to those living in urban areas, according to a new study. \u201cCigarette smoking prevalence is higher in rural than urban ","byline":"","author":"Giving Compass","author_bio":null,"author_img_url":null,"publisher":"Futurity ","type":"post","image":null,"gc_medium_image":"https:\/\/cdn.www.hbhuluo.com\/images\/categories\/featured-category-health.jpg","has_featured_image":false,"img_alt":"","img_caption":"","gc_selection":false,"url":"\/\/www.hbhuluo.com\/article\/study-reveals-prevalence-of-cigarette-smoking-in-rural-areas","is_gc_original":false,"is_evergreen":false,"footnotes":null,"audio":false,"pdf":null,"video":false,"date_added":"Sep 12, 2022","date_modified":"Sep 12, 2022","categories":[{"id":26,"name":"Health","slug":"health"},{"id":53,"name":"Public Health","slug":"public-health"},{"id":110,"name":"Region","slug":"region"},{"id":111,"name":"North America","slug":"north-america"},{"id":33179,"name":"Infrastructure","slug":"infrastructure"},{"id":176565,"name":"Scientific Research","slug":"scientific-research"},{"id":176571,"name":"Research","slug":"research"},{"id":248178,"name":"Rural Infrastructure","slug":"rural-infrastructure"}],"_date_added":1662940800,"_date_modified":1662940800,"_categories":["health","public-health","region","north-america","infrastructure","scientific-research","research","rural-infrastructure"],"_tags":[]},{"id":210148,"title":"How You Can Help Protect Sharks","summary":"

• \u00a0David Shiffman shares actions to take - and avoid - to help advance shark conservation.<\/li>
• What role can you play in supporting effective conservation efforts?<\/li>
• Read about\u00a0breaking ground on equity in ocean conservation.<\/a><\/li><\/ul>","intro":null,"content":"Sharks are some of the most ecologically important and most threatened animals on Earth. Recent reports show that up to one-third of all known species of sharks and their relatives, rays, are threatened with extinction. Unsustainable overfishing is the biggest threat by far.Losing sharks can disrupt coastal food webs that billions of people depend on for food. When food chains lose their top predators, the rest can unravel as smaller prey species multiply.In my years of talking with the public about sharks and ocean conservation, I\u2019ve found that many people care about sharks and want to help but don\u2019t know how. The solutions can be quite technical, and it\u2019s challenging to understand and appreciate the scale and scope of some of the threats.At the same time, there is an enormous amount of oversimplification and even misinformation about these important topics, which can lead well-intentioned people to support policies that experts know won\u2019t work.I am a marine conservation biologist and have sought to improve this situation by surveying shark researchers and helping scientists identify research topics that can advance conservation. I\u2019ve also written a book, \u201cWhy Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive With the World\u2019s Most Misunderstood Predator.\u201d Here are three ways that anyone can make a difference for sharks and avoid taking steps that are ineffective or even harmful.A 2020 study that surveyed 371 reefs found that sharks had virtually disappeared from about 20% of them.Don\u2019t eat unsustainable seafoodThe No. 1 threat to sharks and rays \u2013 and arguably, to marine biodiversity in general \u2013 is unsustainable overfishing. Some fishing methods are incredibly destructive to marine life and habitats.They can also produce high rates of bycatch \u2013 the unintended catch of nontarget species. For example, fishermen pursuing tuna may accidentally catch sea turtles or sharks swimming near the tuna.The single most effective thing that individual consumers can do is to avoid seafood produced using these harmful methods. This does not mean completely avoiding seafood, as some advocates urge. Seafood is healthy, delicious and culturally important, and there are environmentally friendly ways of catching it sustainably. There are even sustainable fisheries for sharks.Reputable organizations such as California\u2019s Monterey Bay Aquarium publish sustainable seafood guides that rate different types of seafood based on how they are caught or raised. While experts may quibble over details of some of these rankings, consumers can follow these guidelines and know that they are helping to protect sharks and ocean life in general.Support reputable environmental nonprofits, not harmful extremistsLots of great environmental nonprofit organizations work on shark issues and offer opportunities to get involved, such as donating money and communicating with elected officials and other decision-makers. In my book, I describe the work of many of these groups, including my favorite, Shark Advocates International.Unfortunately, some organizations promote pseudoscience that doesn\u2019t help anyone or anything. In a 2021 study, colleagues and I surveyed employees of 78 nonprofits that work on shark conservation issues to understand whether and how these organizations engaged with the science of shark conservation.We found that a small but vocal minority had never read scientific reports or spoken with scientists, and held blatantly incorrect and harmful views that cannot help sharks. For example, some organizations are trying to get certain airlines to stop carrying shark products like dried fins, without acknowledging that well over 95% of fins are shipped by sea or that sustainable sources of these fins exist.One of my particular pet peeves is amateur online petitions that may not reflect actual conditions. For example, in the spring of 2022, some 60,000 people signed a petition calling for Florida to ban the practice of shark finning \u2013 without recognizing that Florida had banned shark finning in the early 1990s. As I explain in my book, it is essential to identify organizations that use science in support of worthwhile conservation goals and avoid promoting others that do not.Look to expertsMany ocean science, management and conservation experts are active on social media. Following them is a great way to learn about fascinating new scientific discoveries and conservation issues.Unfortunately, sharks also get a lot of sensational coverage in the media, and well-intentioned but uninformed people often spread misinformation on social media. For example, you may have seen posts celebrating Hawaii for banning shark fishing in its waters \u2013 but these posts don\u2019t note that about 99% of fishing in Hawaii occurs in federal waters.Don\u2019t take the bait. By getting your information from reliable sources, you can help other people learn more about these fascinating, ecologically important animals, why they need humans\u2019 help and the most effective steps to take.David Shiffman, Pos...","html_content":"

  Sharks are some of the most ecologically important and most threatened animals on Earth. Recent reports show that up to one-third of all known species of sharks and their relatives, rays<\/a>, are threatened with extinction. Unsustainable overfishing is the biggest threat by far.<\/p>

  Losing sharks can disrupt coastal food webs that billions of people depend on for food. When food chains lose their top predators, the rest can unravel as smaller prey species multiply<\/a>.<\/p>

  In my years of talking with the public about sharks and ocean conservation, I\u2019ve found that many people care about sharks and want to help but don\u2019t know how. The solutions can be quite technical, and it\u2019s challenging to understand and appreciate the scale and scope of some of the threats.<\/p>

  At the same time, there is an enormous amount of oversimplification and even misinformation about these important topics, which can lead well-intentioned people to support policies that experts know won\u2019t work.<\/p>

  I am a marine conservation biologist<\/a> and have sought to improve this situation by surveying shark researchers<\/a> and helping scientists identify research topics that can advance conservation<\/a>. I\u2019ve also written a book, \u201cWhy Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive With the World\u2019s Most Misunderstood Predator<\/a>.\u201d Here are three ways that anyone can make a difference for sharks and avoid taking steps that are ineffective or even harmful.<\/p>