Smoking Behaviors of General Educational Development (GED) Recipients

Abstract

Objective

Cigarette smoking is inversely associated with education, and despite this gradient effect, individuals with a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, obtained through a high school equivalency test, have the highest smoking prevalence. Considered the high school equivalency credential, it is unclear why individuals with a GED have a substantially higher smoking prevalence compared to high school graduates and dropouts. We conducted a qualitative study to understand life experiences, tobacco use patterns, and perceptions of tobacco among GED smokers and attitudes and behaviors around smoking cessation.

Methods

We recruited 40 GED smokers aged 18 to 35 years and conducted surveys and semi-structured individual interviews. Transcripts were independently coded, then coding differences were resolved and reviewed by a third team member. We independently determined themes within and between codes and met to determine final themes.

Results

GED recipients had many early life experiences and characteristics that made them highly vulnerable to tobacco dependence. With perceived high cognitive abilities, GED smokers were knowledgeable of many evidence-based smoking cessation strategies and were aware of health risks. Health risks and the financial burden of smoking were motivation to quit. The majority were uninterested or lacked confidence that nicotine replacement therapy, medications, counseling, or the quitline could help them quit. Nearly all were enthusiastic and confident that financial incentives had the potential to help them quit.

Conclusions

Research is needed to determine whether financial incentives could improve smoking cessation outcomes in this unique population with an unequal burden of smoking.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 U54GM104938, PI Judith James) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (Grant R25MD011564, PI Stavrakis). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.