Disparities

Research

New analysis: Women of low socioeconomic status face unique challenges related to smoking, smoking ban policies
Although smoking bans are necessary and have had a positive effect on reducing secondhand smoke exposure, some unintended consequences of these policies are becoming more prominent, especially among women of low socioeconomic status. In the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a compilation called “Unintended Consequences of Tobacco Policies” includes 9 peer-reviewed articles that focus on the challenges that women are facing. For example, it has been found that when smoking is prohibited indoors, women who leave their children unsupervised while going outside to smoke are stigmatized and labeled as “bad mothers,” which ultimately prevents them from seeking professional help to quit smoking. The supplement also makes recommendations on how to better deal with these sensitive issues. Click here to read more about the unintended consequences of smoking bans. Click here to view a full listing of the articles in the supplement.

Women and smoking: An interdisciplinary examination of socioeconomic influences
The October 1 supplement of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence presents research on the link between socioeconomic disparities and smoking among women. Although the prevalence of smoking has declined among the general U.S. population in recent years, socioeconomically disadvantaged women are making up a larger proportion of the remaining population of smokers. The goals of the supplement are to increase scientific understanding of the extent to which socioeconomic disadvantage increases risk for smoking among women, elucidate potential processes involved in that relationship, and explore implications for improving the effectiveness of treatment and prevention interventions and tobacco-control policies. Click here to view a listing of articles in the supplement.

Schizophrenia prefrontal cortex deficits impede smoking cessation
A placebo-controlled clinical trial of sustained-release bupropion plus transdermal nicotine patch measured neurocognitive function and smoking cessation in smokers with schizophrenia. Patients who were unable to stop smoking were more likely to have neurological deficits in frontal executive function compared with the other schizophrenia patients. The researchers concluded that it may prove beneficial to develop smoking cessation interventions focusing on the neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia. The research findings are in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. To read more about the results, click here.

Smoking and mental illness: Results from population surveys in Australia and the United States
Compared to the general population, smoking and smoking-related illnesses are more prevalent among individuals with a range of mental disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and depression. Researchers sought to describe the link between smoking and mental illness using data from population surveys conducted in the U.S. and Australia. The data revealed that individuals who met diagnostic criteria for a mental illness were twice as likely to be smokers. Because many of the smokers with mental illnesses had not sought psychiatric care, the researchers recommend that population-based public health programs should consider strategies that address smoking cessation and mental illness together. Click here to read the full text of the article in BMC Public Health.

Tobacco use among sexual minorities in the USA, 1987 to May 2007: a systematic review
A systematic review of ten years of research on tobacco use among sexual minorities concludes that the prevalence of smoking is significantly higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals than the general population. The researchers conclude that this disparity warrants ongoing, targeted interventions to address smoking in sexual minority populations. Lastly, the researchers recommend that sexual minority status should be incorporated into national and state surveillance systems to improve monitoring of the elevated use of tobacco in these populations. Click here to read the full text of the review article in Tobacco Control.

top

Reports

Bringing Everyone Along (BEA) resource guide supplement
This new document from the Tobacco Cessation Leadership Network (TCLN) supplements the Bringing Everyone Along Resource Guide with practical strategies and advice from four states for implementing tobacco policies and treatment in mental health and substance use settings. The Resource Guide Supplement also includes an updated list of resources and tools. Click here to download the new Resource Guide Supplement.

top

Back to Table of Contents