Missouri Foundation For Health Study Reveals Most Comprehensive,
County-Level Detail On Missouri's Tobacco Use & Health Practices
MFH Hopes Data Encourages Communities To Make Changes
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 30 - Missourians smoke too much.
A majority of smokers in the state want to quit. Almost 56%
of Missouri adults support local laws to prohibit smoking
indoors - these are a few of the findings of the first-ever,
comprehensive county-level survey of tobacco use and related
health problems in Missouri counties. The survey, managed
by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)
and funded by Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH), queried
almost 50,000 Missouri residents on a wide range of tobacco-related
issues.
The survey results, which are being released today, can be
used by state and local policymakers, health professionals,
and the media to better inform the public about tobacco-related
health indicators in individual communities and counties,
and to identify needed changes to improve the health of all
Missourians.
The survey, which cost $1.4 million, enabled DHSS to conduct
49,513 telephone interviews in 2007 and 2008. It is the largest
special survey ever undertaken in Missouri. Because of its
size, the survey allows for analysis of tobacco use and related
health problems for all of Missouri's 114 counties and the
City of St. Louis. The survey is one element of MFH's Tobacco
Prevention and Cessation Initiative, a nine-year, $40 million
effort to combat Missouri's substantial tobacco problem.
"We all recognize that tobacco causes health problems,
but until now communities had little hard data that showed
the extent of the problem locally," said Dr. James R.
Kimmey, President and CEO of MFH. "What is unique about
this study is that now communities have both county-specific
information on tobacco use and a much clearer picture of their
area's attitude toward smoking and the health problems that
can be directly attributed to the local smoking patterns.
This enables policymakers and health professionals to focus
their resources on crafting policy change and health measures
that will have the greatest impact on improving the health
of their local community. "
The study results also can be useful to the general public
and are available through the DHSS Community Profiles
website (www.dhss.mo.gov/CommunityDataProfiles). The results
are organized into four 2007 County-level Study profiles:
Health and Preventive Practices, Tobacco Use, Tobacco Cessation
and Secondhand Smoke. Visitors will find county, region and
state information about a range of issues in each profile.
"This is a significant study in that it provides for
the first time in Missouri county-specific information about
adult tobacco use and related health problems and practices,"
said Jane Drummond, Director of the Missouri Department of
Health and Senior Services. "We appreciate the cooperation
of almost 50,000 Missouri adults who participated in this
important study. The findings will be very helpful in planning
local programs to help adults improve their health."
The survey is the result of a private/public partnership between
MFH, a private foundation, and the Missouri DHSS; no state
funding was used to conduct this survey. DHSS contracted with
the University of Missouri's Health and Behavioral Risk Research
Center to conduct the interviews.
Among the key results from the survey:
-
Many counties in southeast Missouri and the Bootheel region
show smoking rates that are significantly higher than the
state rate. Taney County, which includes Branson, has the
highest county rate - 40.1%. Several counties in northeast
Missouri and the Kansas City area have generally lower smoking
rates than the state rate. Nodaway County has the lowest rate
at 13.9%.
-
Statewide, almost 64% of Missouri smokers intend to quit
in the next six months. At the county level, such information
could be helpful for health professionals or employers that
want to implement cessation programs.
-
Statewide, 56% of Missouri adults support local laws to prohibit
smoking in public workplaces, including restaurants and bars.
The county-level data on this issue could be useful to community
leaders considering smoking-related legislation.
-
Health care coverage varies greatly from county to county
- Jefferson County has the lowest rate of uninsured adults
at 8.1%, while Reynolds County has the highest uninsured rate
at 34.6%. Such information could help health professionals
better tailor treatment alternatives to patients with tobacco-related
health problems based on their insurance/financial situations.
By accessing results from the DHSS website
obtained from the 136-question survey, the
public can also gain a county-level perspective on some of
these issues:
-
Cessation assistance use by smokers.
-
Perceptions of what health issues are related to tobacco
use.
-
Exposure to secondhand smoke.
-
Impact of smoking bans on personal activities (eating out,
shopping, attending events, etc.)
-
Current health concerns (obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes,
etc.)
-
Type of health care coverage used to pay for most individual
medical care.
In addition, multiple national statistics from
the Centers for Disease Control and Campaign for Tobacco Free
Kids demonstrate that tobacco use has a significant impact
on Missouri residents.
-
23.2% of Missouri residents smoke as compared to the national
rate of 20.8%.
-
Missouri is 49th in state tax per cigarette pack (17 cents).
The national average is $1.18.
-
Missouri has the ninth highest adult smoking rate in the
U.S.
-
Almost 59% of Missouri's high school students have used some
form of tobacco product.
-
Smoking costs Missouri $2.13 billion annually in direct health
care costs.
Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental
funder of community health activities in Missouri. MFH is
in its sixth year of grant making, having issued $300 million
in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the
uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties
and the City of St. Louis.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services protects
and promotes quality of life and health for all Missourians
by developing and implementing programs and systems that provide:
information and education, effective regulation and oversight,
quality services and surveillance of diseases and conditions.
###
Editor's Note: Graphics are available electronically
(PNG format) to add to a story. To access the graphics, go
to the MFH website - http://www.mffh.org/tobaccostudy.htm
- and click on any of the three graphics listed below.
1) County-by-County Map showing smoking prevalence
2) County-by-County Map showing percentage of population without
health care coverage
3) Bar Graph showing what type of health care coverage Missourians
have
(Data Note: Data from the survey are available
in both crude weighted percents and age-adjusted percents
so that meaningful comparison can be made between counties
and regions.)