Smoking Cessation Treatment among Rural Individuals.

Abstract

Rural population in the U.S. have higher smoking prevalence rates and consume a higher number of cigarettes per day. Socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers, such as those who reside in rural areas, are less likely to use and have access to evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments than the general population of smokers. Randomized controlled studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of evidence-based smoking cessation interventions among rural residents. Of particular interest are interventions that overcome barriers to smoking cessation treatment such as poor access to primary care, travel, time, lack of health insurance, an inability to pay out-of-pocket expenses for pharmacotherapy, and communal norms that influence smoking cessation.