Demographic profile, smoking, and respiratory diagnostics of social minorities – INSPIRE Program

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Smoking disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, potentially biasing assessments of its impact on respiratory health. <bold>Objective:</bold> Analyze demographic profiles, smoking habits, and respiratory diagnostics in socially vulnerable adults. <bold>Methods:</bold> Adults in Botucatu,SP, Brazil, underwent evaluations (Apr-Dec/23) for socioeconomic status, smoking, respiratory symptoms, and lung function. <bold>Results:</bold> 303 subjects participated [61% female, 55 years (range 43-64)]. 61% white, 27% mixed race, and 12% black. 56% had around 10 years of formal education, and 72% had family income between €132 and €1,056. 10% had passive exposure, 16% former smokers, and 66% active smokers [36 pack-years (range 17-54)]. Regarding symptoms, 51% reported cough, 47% dyspnea, 44% expectoration, 38% chest wheezing, 28% dizziness, 27% palpitations, 20% claudication, and 19% chest pain. About diagnoses, 16% had COPD, 12% asthma, 13% PRISM, 6% were referred for lung cancer screening, and 4% Pre-COPD. More white individuals smoke (p=0.013) and the percentage of FEV₁ was lower in those with a history of smoking [83(range 70-93) vs. 93(range 87-100); p: <0.001). Higher Pre-COPD incidence was observed in subjects with higher socioeconomic status (p=0.041), while those with lower socioeconomic background required more investigations for lung cancer (p=0.018). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> High smoking rates in whites, more Pre-COPD diagnoses in higher socioeconomic status, increased lung cancer investigations in lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and reduced FEV₁ in smokers emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions in socially vulnerable populations for education, prevention, and treatment of respiratory diseases.