Differences in tobacco use among two-year and four-year college students in Minnesota.

This study compares tobacco use rates among two-year and four-year college students and explores the demographic variables that predicted that behavior. 9,931 students at 14 two-year and four-year colleges in Minnesota participated. Students at 11 schools completed an online survey, and students at 3 schools completed a paper survey in 2007. After controlling for sex, age, ethnicity, relationship status, hours of work per week, and number of school credits, attending a two-year college predicted current and daily smoking (odds ratio [OR]) = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52-1.89; OR = 3.47, 95% CI = 2.94-4.11) and smokeless tobacco use (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.32-2.06; OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.06-2.53). Although two-year college students comprise approximately two fifths of the college student population, surveys of college student tobacco use have focused nearly exclusively on four-year college students. Two-year college students should represent a priority population for tobacco control because attending a two-year college predicts increased tobacco use.