Table 2.
Select sociodemographic and health characteristics of adults age ≥ 65 years who reported currently smoking cigarettes, by sex and age group, National Health Interview Survey, 2015.
| Overall N = 770 |
Men N = 389 |
Women N = 381 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | % | (95% CI) | % | (95% CI) | % | (95% CI) |
| Age | ||||||
| 65–74 years | 77.5 | (73.3–81.3) | 81.0 | (75.4–85.6) | 73.8 | (67.6–79.2) |
| ≥75 years | 22.5 | (18.7–26.7) | 19.0 | (14.4–24.6) | 26.2 | (20.8–32.4) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||||
| White, non-Hispanic | 77.2 | (73.3–80.7) | 74.2 | (68.7–79.0) | 80.4 | (75.1–84.7) |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 12.7 | (10.2–15.7) | 12.7 | (9.4–17.0) | 12.6 | (9.1–17.2) |
| Other | 3.0 | (2.0–4.5) | 4.2 | (2.5–7.1) | —a | |
| Hispanic | 7.1 | (5.0–10.2) | 8.8 | (5.9–13.1) | 5.4 | (3.1–9.1) |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Married or living with partner | 44.4 | (39.7–49.3) | 57.4 | (50.9–63.6) | 30.7 | (23.8–38.6) |
| Previously married | 50.2 | (45.4–55.0) | 36.4 | (30.4–42.8) | 64.9 | (57.1–72.0) |
| Never married | 5.3 | (3.9–7.3) | 6.2 | (4.2–9.1) | 4.4 | (2.5–7.8) |
| Education | ||||||
| 0–12 years (no diploma) | 24.5 | (20.4–29.1) | 26.7 | (21.2–33.1) | 22.1 | (17.1–28.2) |
| GED certificate or high school diploma | 33.7 | (29.3–38.4) | 31.5 | (25.7–37.9) | 36.1 | (29.8–42.9) |
| Some college or associate degree | 28.2 | (24.0–32.8) | 25.5 | (20.0–32.0) | 31.0 | (24.8–38.0) |
| Undergraduate or graduate degree | 13.6 | (10.7–17.2) | 16.3 | (11.9–21.9) | 10.7 | (7.3–15.5) |
| Employment status/occupation | ||||||
| Retired or unemployed | 6.0 | (4.4–8.2) | 3.9 | (2.2–6.7) | 8.2 | (5.2–12.6) |
| White collar | 44.3 | (39.1–49.6) | 32.2 | (26.1–39.1) | 56.7 | (49.5–63.6) |
| Blue collar or service industry or farm | 49.7 | (44.4–55.0) | 63.9 | (56.9–70.3) | 35.1 | (28.3–42.6) |
| Poverty status | ||||||
| At or above poverty level | 83.0 | (79.4–86.1) | 86.5 | (81.6–90.2) | 79.3 | (73.7–83.9) |
| Below poverty level | 17.0 | (13.9–20.6) | 13.5 | (9.8–18.4) | 20.7 | (16.1–26.3) |
| US Census region | ||||||
| Northeast | 14.9 | (11.5–19.0) | 15.2 | (10.3–22.1) | 14.5 | (10.7–19.3) |
| Midwest | 24.1 | (20.1–28.6) | 20.0 | (15.2–25.7) | 28.5 | (22.8–34.9) |
| South | 40.9 | (36.2–45.8) | 41.9 | (35.3–48.9) | 39.8 | (33.7–46.3) |
| West | 20.1 | (16.5–24.3) | 22.9 | (17.3–29.6) | 17.2 | (13.3–22.0) |
| Health insurance coverage | ||||||
| Private | 32.6 | (27.9–37.6) | 30.4 | (24.0–37.7) | 34.9 | (28.5–41.9) |
| Medicaid/dual eligible | 11.7 | (9.1–14.8) | 12.2 | (8.7–16.9) | 11.1 | (7.5–16.1) |
| Medicare-advantage | 19.1 | (15.5–23.2) | 18.7 | (13.9–24.8) | 19.4 | (14.4–25.8) |
| Medicare-only (excluding advantage) | 24.7 | (20.7–29.1) | 22.1 | (17.1–27.9) | 27.5 | (21.5–34.4) |
| Other coverage | 11.2 | (8.5–14.7) | 15.6 | (11.4–20.9) | 6.6 | (3.8–11.2) |
| Usual place of healthcare other than ER | ||||||
| Yes | 90.8 | (87.4–93.3) | 89.1 | (83.4–93.0) | 92.6 | (88.5–95.3) |
| No | 9.2 | (6.7–12.6) | 10.9 | (7.0–16.6) | 7.4 | (4.7–11.5) |
| Number of office visits to healthcare provider in past yearb | ||||||
| 0 | 15.2 | (12.2–18.8) | 16.3 | (12.1–21.7) | 14.1 | (9.5–20.4) |
| 1 | 12.1 | (9.4–15.6) | 12.1 | (8.1–17.7) | 12.1 | (8.5–16.9) |
| ≥2 | 72.7 | (68.5–76.5) | 71.6 | (65.1–77.3) | 73.8 | (67.5–79.3) |
| Health status | ||||||
| Excellent or very good | 36.0 | (31.5–40.7) | 36.0 | (30.1–42.3) | 35.9 | (29.2–43.2) |
| Good | 32.7 | (28.8–36.9) | 32.2 | (26.7–38.2) | 33.3 | (27.2–40.1) |
| Fair or poor | 31.3 | (27.2–35.7) | 31.9 | (26.7–37.5) | 30.7 | (24.4–37.9) |
| Disability or limitation | ||||||
| Yes | 40.1 | (33.9–46.6) | 41.2 | (32.3–50.8) | 38.9 | (30.6–47.9) |
| No | 59.9 | (53.4–66.1) | 58.8 | (49.2–67.7) | 61.1 | (52.1–69.4) |
| Serious psychological distress (Kessler Scale) | ||||||
| Yes (Kessler score ≥ 13) | 5.5 | (3.6–8.4) | 5.2 | (2.9–9.2) | —a | |
| No (Kessler score < 13) | 94.5 | (91.6–96.4) | 94.8 | (90.8–97.1) | 94.2 | (89.1–96.9) |
| History of chronic diseasec | ||||||
| Smoking-related chronic disease, excluding cancer | 46.9 | (42.2–51.7) | 51.3 | (44.4–58.1) | 42.3 | (35.7–49.1) |
| Smoking-related cancers | 25.7 | (17.4–36.3) | 24.3 | (13.1–40.7) | 27.3 | (16.5–41.7) |
| Non-smoking-related cancers | 48.2 | (37.3–59.2) | 40.3 | (26.0–56.4) | 56.7 | (40.2–71.9) |
| Other non-smoking-related chronic diseases | 79.1 | (74.5–83.0) | 79.2 | (73.8–83.8) | 78.9 | (71.6–84.7) |
| No history of chronic disease | 15.6 | (12.1–19.9) | 15.8 | (11.7–21.1) | 15.4 | (10.6–21.9) |
Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; ER = Emergency Room; GED = General Educational Development high school equivalency diploma; N=Number sampled.
Data not reported because sample size is <50 and/or the relative standard error of the estimate is >30%.
Excluding visits to hospital ERs, overnight hospitalizations, home visits, dental visits, or telephone calls.
History of chronic disease: smoking-related chronic disease excluding cancer (coronary heart disease, angina, myocardial infarction/heart attack, stroke, diabetes, emphysema, chronic bronchitis), smoking-related cancers (lung, oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, pancreas, stomach, colon and rectum, kidney, bladder, cervix), non-smoking-related cancers (all other cancers except non-melanoma skin cancer), other non-smoking-related chronic diseases (hypertension, heart condition/disease, asthma, ulcer, arthritis), or no history of being diagnosed with chronic disease.