Differential price-responsiveness of smoking behaviors among non-Hispanic African Americans and non-Hispanic whites in the United States.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Non-Hispanic African Americans (African Americans) smoke fewer cigarettes per day (CPD) and are more likely to be non-daily smokers than non-Hispanic whites (whites). Little is known about how changes in cigarette prices might contribute to these differences. This study aimed to measure the price-responsiveness of smoking participation, non-daily smoking among current smokers and smoking intensity among daily or non-daily smokers for African Americans and compare the price-responsiveness estimates with those for whites.


DESIGN
Analysis of data from the 2009-14 National Adult Tobacco Surveys and cigarette price data from the Tax Burden on Tobacco report.


SETTING
United States.


PARTICIPANTS
A total of 19 232 African American and 197 939 white adults aged 18+.


MEASUREMENTS
We used a three-part econometric model of cigarette demand to estimate the price-responsiveness of smoking participation, daily versus non-daily smoking and smoking intensity. The model controlled for secular variation, state-level anti-smoking sentiment and smoke-free air laws and socio-demographics.


FINDINGS
In 2009-14, 20.2% of African Americans and 17.7% of whites identified as current smokers; 70.2% of African American smokers and 81.4% of white smokers smoked daily. The price elasticity of smoking participation was significant for whites at -0.16 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.23, -0.09], indicating that a 10% increase in prices would reduce smoking participation by 1.6%, but not statistically significant for African Americans, and this racial/ethnic differential price responsiveness was not statistically significant. The price elasticity of smoking intensity was statistically significant for African American daily smokers at -0.29 (95% CI = -0.42, -0.16), but not statistically significant for white daily smokers, and this racial/ethnic differential price-responsiveness was statistically significant. The price elasticity of daily versus non-daily smoking among current smokers, and the price elasticity of smoking intensity among non-daily smokers were not statistically significant for either racial/ethnic group.


CONCLUSION
In the United States, cigarette price increases may have stronger effects on decreasing daily smokers' consumption among African Americans than among non-Hispanic whites.
['Wang|Yingning|Y|0000-0003-0413-1764', 'Max|Wendy|W|0000-0002-4040-1592', 'Yao|Tingting|T|0000-0002-5741-8710', 'Keeler|Courtney|C|0000-0001-5377-5019', 'Sung|Hai-Yen|HY|0000-0002-5563-7477']
D000328:Adult D001741:African Americans D006630:Hispanic or Latino D006801:Humans D000074285:Smokers D012907:Smoking D016540:Smoking Cessation D014481:United States D044465:Whites
African Americans whites cigarette price price elasticity daily and non-daily smoking three-part model