2006-07 Summary Table Technical Notes

• Notes on All Tables
• Notes on Table 1
• Notes on Table 2
• Notes on Table 3
• Back to the main page for 2006-07 data

Notes on All Tables

1. Several federal surveys are used to track tobacco usage in the US population, each with slightly different assessments. These tables are examples of analyses of the 2006-2007 data file that are available from the Census Bureau.
2. Table 1 and Table 4 data are weighted for the sample design and for CPS Smoking Supplement non-response. Values in Tables 2, 3, 5, and 6 are weighted for the sample design and for Smoking Supplement self-response.
3. Tabled values may not sum exactly to 100% due to rounding error.
4. These tables contain simple parameter estimates (percentages and means), and measures of variance in the form of confidence intervals. These confidence intervals were estimated using replicate weights. Alternative estimates of variance and confidence intervals can be made for simple analyses using Attachment 16 of the 2006-2007 Tobacco Use Supplement File of the US Census Bureau Technical Documentation. Replicate weights necessary for more complex analysis such as regression or analysis of variance are available from NCI.
5. Region:
   • Northeast = Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont;
   • Midwest = Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin;
   • South = Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; and
   • West = Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Notes on Table 1

As an example of the analysis of cigarette smoking prevalence, Table 1 contains estimates for several categories of smoking behavior. Smoking status was determined by asking self and proxy respondents:

1. "(Have/has) (you/name) smoked at least 100 cigarettes in (your/his/her) entire life?", and
2. "(Do/does) (you/name) now smoke cigarettes everyday, some days, or not at all?"

Current smoking is therefore represented as the sum of Everyday and Some-day smoking. Former smokers are defined as those who have smoked 100 or more cigarettes, but who were no longer smoking at the time of the interview, and Never smokers were defined as those who had smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

Table 1

Notes on Table 2

Table 2 reflects the percentage of survey respondents self-reporting: a) that smoking is not allowed inside their home, and b) that smoking is not allowed in their place of business.

Home-ban values are determined from the item: "Which statement best describes the rules about smoking in your home: No one is allowed to smoke anywhere, smoking is permitted in some places or at some times, or smoking is permitted anywhere?" Responses of "No one is allowed to smoke anywhere" are tabulated for this table.

Complete restriction of smoking at work was determined by asking respondents who worked indoors (and who are not self-employed, or working in someone else's or their own home, in several buildings, or in a motor vehicle) three questions (see Table footnote for question wording).

Table 2

Notes on Table 3

Three measures of smoking cessation behavior are represented in Table 3. All three measures involve individuals who were daily smokers one year prior to the CPS interview. The first column is a measure of any cessation activity within the past year -- it combines:

1. daily smokers having one or more (24-hour or longer) quit attempts in past year,
2. current some-day smokers who had previously smoked daily about 12 months ago,
3. former smokers who quit less than 3 months prior to the interview, and
4. former smokers who quit 3 or more months prior to interview, and
5. former smokers who quit 6 or more months prior to interview (this group also includes the subset of those who quit 6+ months prior to interview).

For more information on this definition of quitting behavior, see Shopland, Burns, Amacher, and Ruppert, 2000, Chapter 2.

The second and third columns, labeled "Had quit smoking for 3+/6+ months," refer to former smokers at the time of the interview who had completely quit smoking cigarettes 3+/6+months ago, but had been daily smokers about a year ago.

Table 3