High tobacco use prevalence with significant regional and sex differences in smokeless tobacco use among Western Alaska Native people: the WATCH study

ABSTRACT

Tobacco use prevalence among Alaska Native (AN) people living in Alaska is greater than the general population prevalence statewide and nationally. Better understanding of regional tobacco use is needed to improve cessation efforts and reduce prevalence. Using self-reported baseline data from the Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health study, we describe tobacco use patterns among AN people in two western Alaska regions. Data were stratified by age group and sex. Dual- and multi-product use in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region was stratified by concurrent vs sequential use. Overall, 87% of the cohort reported having used tobacco. In Norton Sound, cigarette (98%) was the predominant tobacco type. In Y-K 71% smoked, 76% used smokeless tobacco (ST), with 47% reporting use of both products. ST use in Y-K consisted of commercial ST and homemade iqmik. Y-K women reported more ST product use, while men reported more cigarette use. Among dual- and multi-product users, the majority reported concurrent use, with no significant differences between men and women. Distinct regional differences include high smoking prevalence in Norton Sound and frequent use of smoking and ST products in Y-K. Findings support modification of cessation programmes to address regional variations in tobacco use patterns.

KEYWORDS:

• Cigarettes
• smokeless tobacco
• Alaska Native
• tobacco use patterns

Acknowledgements

The creation of the WATCH study dataset was funded in part by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Administrative Supplement to a grant funded by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institutes of Health (NIH; grant P20 RR16430). The Alaska-Siberia Project (ASP) was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R21DK44592) and the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) was funded through the NCRR Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) [P20 RR016430 and R01 DK074842] mechanisms. Alaska Education and Research Toward Health (EARTH) was funded by the National Cancer Institute [CA88958 and CA96095]. Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [U01 HL64244]. Additional Federal funding was received from the NCRR and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, a trademark of the US Department of Health and Human Services, part of the Roadmap Initiative, “Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise” (Grant # UL1RR031975); the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK097307); and COBRE (P30GM103325). Funds were also made available by the President of the University of Alaska through unrestricted donations by British Petroleum and ConocoPhillips.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

None.