Key result
Rural residence shows no difference versus urban in LDCT screening or cessation intervention use.
Why the study?
US rural populations face a higher lung cancer burden than urban residents, prompting an evaluation of tobacco use, smoking cessation, and lung cancer screening patterns by rurality to identify modifiable gaps.
Does rurality affect tobacco use, smoking cessation, and lung cancer screening patterns among older adults in the southeastern US?
Population
10,114 current and former smoking adults aged 65-80 years from the Southern Community Cohort Study
Comparison
Rural vs urban residents
Design
Prospective cohort study
Authors
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Low LDCT uptake and cessation counseling rates in rural smokers caution against complacency; leaves open whether targeted programs close disparities.
Cohort (n=10,114)
Yes
Does rurality affect tobacco use, smoking cessation, and lung cancer screening patterns among older adults in the southeastern US?
Despite modest differences in smoking prevalence, rural and urban residents in lower socioeconomic groups have similarly low utilization of lung cancer screening and cessation interventions.
Manful et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Tobacco use and lung cancer screening (n=10,114). Rural residence vs. Urban residence was evaluated on Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening and smoking cessation intervention use. Among current and former smokers, there were no significant rural-urban differences in the utilization of low-dose computed tomography screening (which increased from 0% to 6%) or cessation interventions.
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