Objectives This study analyzed the impact of immigration status on current tobacco use among adult Chinese-Americans living in Texas. Methods A survey was administered in Chinese and English in 2004 to assess tobacco use among Chinese-American adults using a stratified probability sample from two large metropolitan areas in Texas. Data were adjusted for unequal probability of selection and weighted to provide state-wide estimates for Chinese-Americans in Texas. Results The study sample was comprised of 1,054 Chinese-American adults. The overall current smoking rate was 11.1% with men's rates much higher (16.1%) than women's (6.7%). Lower household income and education increased smoking among males but more educated females had a tendency to smoke more. Although overall smoking rate among Chinese-Americans was significantly lower than the general Texas population (20.6%), smoking rate among recent immigrant men (<5 years in the U.S.) was alarmingly higher (28.0%). U.S.-born Chinese-American men's smoking rate (25.0%) is similar to that of their U.S.-born counterparts (23.7%). U.S.-born Chinese-American men initiated smoking 4 years earlier (13.8 years) than their immigrant counterparts. Conclusions Although Chinese-Americans in Texas had overall lower smoking rates than the general population, the high smoking rates among recently immigrated men emphasize the need for cessation activities targeting this group. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.

Tobacco use Immigration Surveys Chinese-american

China controlled clinical trial clinical trial human sex difference middle aged statistics controlled study Confidence Intervals randomized controlled trial Aged Logistic Models Health Surveys ethnology Confidence interval Young Adult smoking cessation United States Humans Adolescent Asian Americans male Emigrants and Immigrants Asian American female tobacco dependence Tobacco Use Disorder Multivariate Analysis questionnaire prevalence Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Psychometrics Article psychometry Questionnaires adult migration Sex Factors statistical model attitude to health Texas health survey