Tobacco use among adolescents enrolled in Wisconsin Medicaid program.

PROBLEM There has been very little study done on tobacco use and cessation among the adolescent Medicaid population. Study objectives included determining the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents enrolled in Medicaid, and identifying subgroups within this population. METHODS To determine tobacco use among adolescents enrolled in the Wisconsin Medicaid program, we analyzed data from a medical chart-audit of health care visits by 11-21 year olds from January 1997 to January 1999. RESULTS Tobacco use status was noted in 55% of adolescent charts. Of these, 24% were current smokers, while 38% of adolescents in the general Wisconsin population were current smokers. Females had higher rates of tobacco use than males (28% versus 11%), and those from rural areas had higher rates than those from urban areas (41% versus 17%). Of pregnant adolescents with tobacco use status documented, 31.6% were current tobacco users. CONCLUSIONS Based on the data reported, adolescents in the Wisconsin Medicaid program who were pregnant, female, or rural residents may benefit from targeted smoking prevention and cessation intervention by health care professionals, community coalitions, and state programs.