Smokers With Behavioral Health Comorbidity Should Be Designated a Tobacco Use Disparity Group (American Journal of Public Health)
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A study published July 2013 in the American Journal of Public Health calls for a national effort to address tobacco cessation for smokers with co-occuring behavioral health issues. “A critical aspect of designating a disparity group is recognizing that standard or population-based approaches that benefit many people may not work.”
Findings are that smoking prevalence is higher among persons with behavioral health conditions than among nearly all other groups that bear disparity burdens. This group is identified as one of three groups meeting the criteria for a tobacco use disparity group. The two other groups are identified as racial/ethnic minorities and persons with low socioeconomic status. The research points to the fact that the Behavioral Health comorbidity disparity group has not been served in the national effort to reduce tobacco use.