| Summary: | Background
Smoking prevalence among construction workers (CWs) is nearly twice the national
average of smoking in the US. In 2014, there were more than 2.6 million Hispanic/Latino
CWs in the US, representing nearly a third of the US construction workforce. In
this study, we used a national sample of US adults to examine the prevalence
and predictors of cigarette smoking among Hispanic/Latino CWs.
Methods
Data were pooled from the 2001-2010 (5 cycles) National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey. All respondents > 20 years who self-identified
as Hispanics/Latino and were working in the construction industry were selected
(n= 430). We calculated prevalence rates and 95% confidence intervals of the demographic
characteristics of workers stratified by smoking status (current, former, never
smoker). Logistic regression analysis were performed with adjustments made for
the complex survey design.
Results
Overall,
99.0% of Hispanic/Latino CWs were males, 17.9% were non-US born, 42.4% spoke
only Spanish, 61.3% did not complete high school, 32.0% were without health
insurance, 30.5% fell below the poverty level, and 31.0% reported smoking. The
mean age at initiation of smoking was 15.1 (SD= 13.7-16.4), and the mean of
number of cigarettes smoked per day was 12.1 (4.5-19.7). Compared to workers who
do not smoke, smokers were significantly more likely to be between the ages of 20-45
(78.8% vs. 90.2%), have higher exposure to mineral dusts at work ( 38.4 vs. 66.0%)
and secondhand smoke at home (4.9% vs. 23.3%) and work (29.5% vs. 43.3%), and
higher level of depression (2.9% vs. 8.8%) (P< 0.05 for all).
Conclusions
Smoking
prevalence is high among Hispanic/Latino CWs. This group was identified as a
high-risk group for smoking-related health problems and injuries, and should
therefore be a prime focus for smoking cessation efforts. Future smoking cessation interventions
need to be adapted to their culture and work/life circumstances.
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