Relationships between smoking behaviors and cotinine levels among two American Indian populations With distinct smoking patterns

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking prevalence, cigarettes per day (CPD), and lung cancer incidence differ between Northern Plains (NP) and Southwest (SW) American Indian populations. We used cotinine as a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure to biochemically characterize NP and SW smokers and nonsmokers and to investigate factors associated with variation in tobacco exposure. Methods: American Indians (N = 636) were recruited from two different tribal populations (NP and SW) as part of a study conducted as part of the Collaborative to Improve Native Cancer Outcomes P50 project. For each participant, a questionnaire assessed smoking status, CPD, second-hand smoke exposure, and traditional ceremonial tobacco use; plasma and/or salivary cotinine was measured. Results: Cotinine levels were (mean ± 95% confidence interval [CI]) 81.6 ± 14.1 and 21.3 ± 7.3 ng/ml among NP smokers and non-mokers, respectively, and 44.8 ± 14.4 and 9.8 ± 5.8 ng/ml among SW smokers and nonsmokers, respectively. Cotinine levels correlated with CPD in both populations (p < 0.02). More secondhand smoke exposure was associated with smoking more CPD in both populations (p = 0.03-0.29). Linear regression modeling mirrored these findings. Conclusions: High prevalence of smoking in the Northern Plains and high cotinine levels among nonsmokers in both regions highlights the tribal populations' risk for tobacco-related disease. Implications: There is a high prevalence of smoking in Northern Plains American Indians. Among Northern Plains and Southwest nonsmokers, relatively high cotinine levels, representative of high tobacco exposure, suggest considerable exposure to second-hand smoke. It is critical to highlight the extent of secondhand smoke exposure among the Northern Plains and Southwest American Indians and to enhance efforts to initiate smoke-free policies in tribal communities, which are not subject to state-level polices.