Smoking is more common among Americans living in rural areas, and it is also more difficult for them to quit smoking than urban residents, according to a study by Rutgers University researchers. bigger.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that smoking rates were higher in rural areas than in urban areas -- 19.2 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively. While the number of smokers quitting in rural and urban areas was similar in 2020 (52.9% and 53.9%), the odds of quitting between 2010 and 2020 were 75% lower in rural areas than in urban areas.

"Higher rates of smoking and lower rates of smoking cessation in rural populations lead to higher rates of cancer incidence and mortality due to smoking in rural [residents] compared with urban residents." Co-author of the study, associate professor at the Ministry of Health Andrea Villanti said.

Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health and associate director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Research said in a statement. Therefore, smoking cessation is a high-impact target for cancer prevention efforts in rural populations.

The study used data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2010-2020 National Survey on Drug Use to analyze adults who smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, which they define as lifetime smoking. Current smoking was defined as smoking one or more cigarettes in the past month, while previous smoking was defined as no smoking in the past year. The overall quit rate and annual quit rate were estimated as the proportion of former smokers among lifetime smokers.

The researchers found that of the 161,348 lifetime smokers analyzed, 33.5 percent were former smokers.

According to the researchers, the findings support a persistent rural/urban disparity, which may be attributable to the fact that rural residents may face more barriers than urban residents in using smoking cessation services, or may be in the early stages of motivation to quit.

They suggest that smoking interventions at the clinical setting, health system or population level may improve the coverage and sustainability of smoking cessation services for rural residents. Smoking cessation resources, including telephone quitlines and telehealth counselling, can also reduce barriers to access to tobacco treatment for rural residents.

The research team was led by Indiana University and included researchers from Yeshiva University.