Does having smoked cigarettes have any relationship to depression? This study explores the relationship between cigarette smoking and depressive frequency within the Asian American adult population. I hypothesized that Asian American adults who have ever smoked a cigarette would report more depression compared to Asian American adults who have never smoked cigarettes. To test this hypothesis, I analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) using a subset of 1704 Asian American adults aged 18 to 85+. I controlled for native-born status, social/emotional support, relationship status, education, age, and gender. Controlling for the other variables, Asian American adults who have ever smoked a cigarette reported greater depressive frequency than those who have never smoked a cigarette. Additionally, multiple regression results showed that being in a relationship (married or living with a partner together as an unmarried couple) along with one’s level of social/emotional support had the largest effects on depressive frequency in the Asian American adult population followed by smoking status, gender, and native-born status.
