Trends in Cigarette Smoking Rates and Quit Attempts Among Adults With and Without Diagnosed Diabetes, United States, 2001–2010

INTRODUCTION: Quitting smoking is a critical step toward diabetes control. It is not known whether smoking rates in adults with diabetes are similar to rates among adults who do not have the disease or whether people with diabetes have increased motivation to quit. We examined prevalence trends of current smoking and quit attempts among US adults with and without diagnosed diabetes from 2001 through 2010. METHODS: We used data from the 2001 through 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based telephone survey of noninstitutionalized US adults, and conducted linear trend analysis and log linear regression. RESULTS: The adjusted prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults with diagnosed diabetes was 9% less than adults without diagnosed diabetes (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR], 0.91; 99% confidence interval [CI], 0.89−0.93). Declines in smoking prevalence were greater among adults without diabetes than adults with diagnosed diabetes (P < .001). Among smokers, the adjusted prevalence of quit attempts among adults with diagnosed diabetes was 13% higher than among adults without diagnosed diabetes (APR, 1.13; 99% CI, 1.11−1.15). Among adult smokers with diagnosed diabetes, quit attempts were stable over time for those aged 18 to 44 years and those with a high school education or less. Quit attempts were also stable for older smokers, non-Hispanic African Americans, and Hispanic smokers, regardless of diagnosed diabetes status. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of smokers with diagnosed diabetes seemed to have quit smoking, but more research is needed to confirm success and how difficult it was to achieve.