Table of Contents

Component Description

The NHANES program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result, data collection for the NHANES 2019-2020 cycle was not completed and the collected data are not nationally representative. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the NHANES 2017-2018 cycle to form a nationally representative sample of NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data. These data are available to the public. Please refer to the Analytic Notes section for more details on the use of the data.

This smoking - cigarette use (prefix SMQ) data set provides a history of cigarette smoking, age at initiation, past 30-day use, time to first cigarette, cigarette type, and quit attempts. Since 1999, question content has varied, and some cycles have included questions on cigarette brand and on the use of other tobacco products. This data set combines only the questions that were in both the 2017-2018, and 2019- March 2020 cycles. 

Eligible Sample

All participants aged 12 years and older in the NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic sample were eligible. For participants aged 12-17, no proxy interviews were eligible. 

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

For adults aged 18 years or older, questions were asked, in the home, by trained interviewers using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system. For youth aged 12-17 years, the questions were asked at the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) during the MEC Interview using the Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) system, in English and Spanish only.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The CAPI and ACASI systems are programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. CAPI also uses online help screens to assist interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire.

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data. A variable, SMAQUEX was created as a flag to designate each interview mode and age group.

Analytic Notes

The COVID-19 pandemic required suspension of NHANES 2019-2020 field operations in March 2020 after data were collected in 18 of the 30 survey locations in the 2019-2020 sample. Because the collected data from 18 locations were not nationally representative, these data were combined with data from the previous cycle (2017-2018) to create a 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data file. A special weighting process was applied to the 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data file. The interview or examination sample weights in the demographic data file should be used to calculate estimates for this combined data file. These sample weights are not appropriate for independent analyses of the 2019-2020 data and will not yield nationally representative results for either the 2017-2018 data alone or the 2019-March 2020 data alone. Please refer to the NHANES website for additional information for the NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data, and for the previous 2017-2018 public use data file with specific weights for that 2-year cycle.

Analysts are advised to carefully review skip patterns, and target ages for this question series, and to re-code or create new variables, as needed. Persons who are not asked a question due to a skip pattern are coded as missing (“.”). Variables vary by target age; some are based on all ages 12+ years, others are only for youths 12-17 years. If skip patterns are not considered, estimates may be based on a portion rather than on the entire population. For example, to determine current cigarette smoking status (18+ years), combine the responses for the preliminary question (SMQ.020) on ‘100 cigarettes in lifetime,’ with responses to the follow-up question on ‘now smokes cigarette’ (SMQ.040)’.

Related questions on cigarette and tobacco use are located in the SMQRTU, SMQFAM and SMQSHS data files. Biomarkers for tobacco exposure including serum cotinine, are found in NHANES laboratory data files.

Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS

SMQ020 - Smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life

Variable Name:
SMQ020
SAS Label:
Smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life
English Text:
These next questions are about cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. {Have you/Has SP} smoked at least 100 cigarettes in {your/his/her} entire life?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 3889 3889
2 No 5799 9688 SMAQUEX2
7 Refused 2 9690 SMAQUEX2
9 Don't know 3 9693 SMAQUEX2
. Missing 1444 11137

SMD030 - Age started smoking cigarettes regularly

Variable Name:
SMD030
SAS Label:
Age started smoking cigarettes regularly
English Text:
How old {were you/was SP} when {you/s/he} first started to smoke cigarettes fairly regularly?
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
7 to 76 Range of Values 3771 3771
0 Never smoked cigarettes regularly 98 3869
777 Refused 1 3870
999 Don't know 19 3889
. Missing 7248 11137

SMQ040 - Do you now smoke cigarettes?

Variable Name:
SMQ040
SAS Label:
Do you now smoke cigarettes?
English Text:
{Do you/Does SP} now smoke cigarettes?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Every day 1306 1306 SMQ078
2 Some days 378 1684 SMD641
3 Not at all 2205 3889
7 Refused 0 3889 SMAQUEX2
9 Don't know 0 3889 SMAQUEX2
. Missing 7248 11137

SMQ050Q - How long since quit smoking cigarettes

Variable Name:
SMQ050Q
SAS Label:
How long since quit smoking cigarettes
English Text:
How long has it been since {you/SP} quit smoking cigarettes?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER (OF DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS OR YEARS)
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 366 Range of Values 2062 2062
66666 50 or more years 136 2198
77777 Refused 0 2198
99999 Don't know 7 2205
. Missing 8932 11137

SMQ050U - Unit of measure (day/week/month/year)

Variable Name:
SMQ050U
SAS Label:
Unit of measure (day/week/month/year)
English Text:
UNIT OF MEASURE
English Instructions:
ENTER UNIT
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Days 19 19
2 Weeks 19 38
3 Months 177 215
4 Years 1847 2062
7 Refused 0 2062
9 Don't know 0 2062
. Missing 9075 11137

SMD057 - # cigarettes smoked per day when quit

Variable Name:
SMD057
SAS Label:
# cigarettes smoked per day when quit
English Text:
At that time, about how many cigarettes did {you/SP} usually smoke per day?
English Instructions:
1 PACK EQUALS 20 CIGARETTES. IF LESS THAN 1 PER DAY, ENTER 1. IF 95 OR MORE PER DAY, ENTER 95. ENTER NUMBER (OF CIGARETTES).
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
1 to 95
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
2 to 90 Range of Values 2031 2031
1 1 cigarette or less 154 2185
95 95 cigarettes or more 5 2190
777 Refused 0 2190
999 Don't know 15 2205
. Missing 8932 11137

SMQ078 - How soon after waking do you smoke

Variable Name:
SMQ078
SAS Label:
How soon after waking do you smoke
English Text:
How soon after you wake up do you smoke? Would you say . . .
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Within 5 minutes 332 332
2 From 6 to 30 minutes 447 779
3 From more than 30 minutes to one hour 255 1034
4 From more than 1 hour to 2 hours 120 1154
5 From more than 2 hours to 3 hours 69 1223
6 From more than 3 hours to 4 hours 20 1243
7 More than 4 hours 50 1293
77 Refused 1 1294
99 Don't know 1 1295
. Missing 9842 11137

SMD641 - # days smoked cigs during past 30 days

Variable Name:
SMD641
SAS Label:
# days smoked cigs during past 30 days
English Text:
On how many of the past 30 days did {you/SP} smoke a cigarette?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER (OF DAYS)
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 30
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 30 Range of Values 1738 1738
77 Refused 1 1739
99 Don't know 5 1744
. Missing 9393 11137

SMD650 - Avg # cigarettes/day during past 30 days

Variable Name:
SMD650
SAS Label:
Avg # cigarettes/day during past 30 days
English Text:
During the past 30 days, on the days that {you/SP} smoked, about how many cigarettes did {you/s/he} smoke per day?
English Instructions:
1 PACK EQUALS 20 CIGARETTES. IF LESS THAN 1 PER DAY, ENTER 1. IF 95 OR MORE PER DAY, ENTER 95. ENTER NUMBER (OF CIGARETTES) (PER DAY).
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
1 to 95
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
2 to 60 Range of Values 1576 1576
1 1 cigarette or less 103 1679
95 95 cigarettes or more 1 1680
777 Refused 1 1681
999 Don't know 6 1687
. Missing 9450 11137

SMD100FL - Cigarette Filter type

Variable Name:
SMD100FL
SAS Label:
Cigarette Filter type
English Text:
Do you usually smoke filtered or non-filtered cigarettes?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Non-filtered 30 30
1 Filtered 1556 1586
7 Refused 0 1586
9 Don't know 6 1592
. Missing 9545 11137

SMD100MN - Cigarette Menthol indicator

Variable Name:
SMD100MN
SAS Label:
Cigarette Menthol indicator
English Text:
Do you usually smoke menthol or non-menthol cigarettes?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Non-menthol 807 807
1 Menthol 783 1590
7 Refused 0 1590
9 Don't know 2 1592
. Missing 9545 11137

SMQ670 - Tried to quit smoking

Variable Name:
SMQ670
SAS Label:
Tried to quit smoking
English Text:
During the past 12 months, {have you/has SP} stopped smoking for longer than a day because {you were/he was/she was} trying to quit smoking?
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 917 917
2 No 789 1706
7 Refused 0 1706
9 Don't know 0 1706
. Missing 9431 11137

SMQ621 - Cigarettes smoked in entire life

Variable Name:
SMQ621
SAS Label:
Cigarettes smoked in entire life
English Text:
The following questions are about cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. Do not include cigars or marijuana. About how many cigarettes have you smoked in your entire life?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 I have never smoked, not even a puff 1236 1236 SMAQUEX2
2 1 or more puffs but never a whole cigarette 72 1308 SMAQUEX2
3 1 cigarette 12 1320
4 2 to 5 cigarettes 17 1337
5 6 to 15 cigarettes 9 1346
6 16 to 25 cigarettes 10 1356
7 26 to 99 cigarettes 4 1360
8 100 or more cigarettes 8 1368
77 Refused 0 1368 SMAQUEX2
99 Don't know 2 1370 SMAQUEX2
. Missing 9767 11137

SMD630 - Age first smoked whole cigarette

Variable Name:
SMD630
SAS Label:
Age first smoked whole cigarette
English Text:
How old were you when you smoked a whole cigarette for the first time?
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Hard Edits:
6 to 19
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
8 to 17 Range of Values 60 60
6 6 years or less 0 60
77 Refused 0 60 SMAQUEX2
99 Don't know 0 60 SMAQUEX2
. Missing 11077 11137

SMAQUEX2 - Questionnaire Mode Flag

Variable Name:
SMAQUEX2
SAS Label:
Questionnaire Mode Flag
English Text:
Questionnaire Mode Flag
Target:
Both males and females 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Home Interview (18+ Yrs) 9693 9693
2 ACASI (12 - 17 Yrs) 1444 11137
. Missing 0 11137