摘要：Objectives. We investigated differences in smoking behaviors between US-and Mexican-born ever smokers and examined the influence of US culture on smoking initiation. Methods. Participants were 5030 adults of Mexican descent enrolled in an ongoing population-based cohort in Houston, Tex. Results. More men than women reported current smoking; rates among US-born women were higher than those among Mexican-born women. Smoking rates among US-born men were higher than earlier published rates among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites but similar to rates among African Americans. Current smoking rates among Mexican-born women were lower than published rates for Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, and African Americans. Older age, male gender, a higher level of acculturation, more than a high school education, and residing in a census tract with a higher median age predicted history of smoking among US-born participants. Among Mexican-born participants, older age, male gender, a higher level of acculturation, and younger age at migration predicted history of smoking. Conclusions. Smoking interventions for people of Mexican descent should be tailored according to gender, nativity, and acculturation level and should target all ages, not just young people. Tobacco continues to be the number one cause of preventable death in the United States despite decreases in overall smoking rates. 1 Although there has been considerable research on tobacco use among people of different ethnicities, little is known about tobacco use among homogeneous subgroups of Hispanics. 2 Even less is known about tobacco use among diverse immigrant populations. 3 Studies suggest that individuals who have immigrated to the United States tend to adopt the lifestyle and health patterns of their host country. 4 Among immigrant Hispanics, for example, use of tobacco has been shown to increase after migration to the United States. 5 Data indicate that such changing patterns in tobacco use among Hispanics may be related to acculturation. 6 People of Mexican descent represent the most rapidly growing segment of the US population and account for almost 60% of the Hispanic population. 7 In addition, Mexicans and Central Americans account for two thirds of the foreign-born Hispanics residing in the United States. 8 Yet, little is known about the factors that influence smoking behavior among homogeneous groups of Hispanics such as people of Mexican descent, irrespective of where they were born. Therefore, a close examination of the effects of nativity status, age at migration, and acculturation on smoking behavior in a large, well-characterized population of Mexican descent is timely and warranted. In the current study, we examined smoking behaviors among adult men and women of Mexican descent from a population-based cohort of households in the Houston, Tex, metropolitan area. Our goals were to analyze smoking rates among men and women by age, educational attainment, level of acculturation, and country of birth; to investigate differences in smoking behavior among US- and Mexican-born smokers; and to examine the role of exposure to US culture in smoking behavior. We hope that the knowledge generated from this study will be useful in the design of culturally sensitive smoking prevention and cessation programs.
