Demographic predictors of false negative self-reported tobacco use status in an insurance applicant population.

Objectives: To identify and quantify demographic correlates of false-negative self-reporting of tobacco use in life insurance applicants.

Background: Several studies have assessed the sensitivity of self-reporting for tobacco use in various populations, but statistical examination of the causes of misreporting has been rarer. The very large (488,000 confirmed tobacco users) sample size, US-wide geographic scope, and unique incentive structure of the life insurance application process permit more robust and insurance industry-specific results in this study.