Correlates of Tobacco Use and Consumption Among Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Using a cross-sectional analysis, we assessed correlates of tobacco use and tobacco consumption from inpatient records ( N = 2,060) from a state psychiatric hospital. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine correlates of tobacco use in the total sample and multivariate linear regression to examine correlates of tobacco consumption among tobacco users. Tobacco-use associated variables in the total sample were being male, being White, lower education, having a substance-use disorder/treatment, having an externalizing or psychotic disorder, being from a rural county, being younger, and shorter length of hospital stay. Among tobacco users ( n = 1,153), correlates of amount of tobacco consumption were being male; being White; lower education; having an internalizing, externalizing, and psychotic disorder; using cigarettes; and living in a county without a smoke-free policy. Psychiatric patients should be screened for specific associative variables as part of tobacco-use assessments. Future research may expand on the current findings to develop strategies to enhance tobacco treatment among psychiatric patients.