Health care provider advice for adolescent tobacco use: results from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

BACKGROUND: Health care providers play an important role in promoting tobacco use abstinence among adolescents. This study aimed to provide nationally representative data on the prevalence of provider tobacco use screening and advice delivered to adolescents. Cessation behaviors and correlates of past year quit attempts among current smokers are also explored.

METHODS: Data came from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative school-based survey of adolescents in grades 6 through 12 (n = 18385). Provider screening and advice were assessed by smoking status and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between advice and past year quit attempt.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of current tobacco use was 16.6%; 10.8% were current cigarette smokers (3.6% were established smokers, 7.2% were nonestablished smokers); 17.3% were former smokers; and 71.9% were never smokers (22.6% high susceptibility, 77.4% low susceptibility). Among all respondents, the prevalence of being asked about tobacco use by a health care provider was 32.2%; the prevalence of being advised to quit or avoid tobacco was 31.4%. Established smokers were more likely than other groups to report provider assessment of tobacco use and advice. Receipt of advice was associated with a higher adjusted odds of having made a past year quit attempt (odds ratio: 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.18-1.82).

CONCLUSIONS: Less than one-third of adolescents report being asked about tobacco use or being advised not to use tobacco. Increased tobacco use intervention by health care providers is needed to prevent initiation and increase cessation.