Tobacco-Related Disparities in Specific Populations

Research

Tobacco use among American Indian or Alaska Native middle- and high-school students in the United States
New research published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research shows that over half of American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth have used one or more tobacco products, and that individual, familial, and social factors can predict types of tobacco use. Data were analyzed from 305 AI/AN middle- and high-school students participating in the 2006 National Youth Tobacco Survey. The data showed that 55% of surveyed students had used cigarettes, 24% cigars, 16% smokeless tobacco, 13% pipes, and 12% menthol cigarettes; 32% had used multiple types of tobacco products. Older age, family members’ smoking, and not refusing to smoke were associated with tobacco use among students who used a single product. Family members’ smoking, not refusing to smoke, absenteeism, and receptiveness to tobacco marketing were predictive of polytobacco use. The findings indicate that tobacco prevention programs for AI/AN youth should consider providing ways for youth to respond to family members’ and friends’ smoking, such as refusal skills training, in order to prevent initiation and promote cessation. Click here to read more.

Racial and ethnic differences in current use of cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs among lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults
A recent study shows that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults have a higher prevalence of tobacco use than their heterosexual peers, and the type of tobacco use varies among demographic subgroups of LGB individuals. National College Health Assessment data were used to gather information on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and current tobacco use among 92,470 college students aged 18-24. The results showed that cigarette smoking was more prevalent among LGB individuals than among heterosexuals in all racial/ethnic groups, with the highest rates seen in multiracial (32.2%) and white (30.6%) individuals, and the lowest among black individuals (16.1%). In addition, there was increased use of hookah among Hispanic and white LGB students and use of hookah and cigars, cigarillos, and clove cigarettes among black LGBs. These estimates all vary from overall national estimates of tobacco use and indicate that there is significant heterogeneity within sexual minority populations, demonstrating a need for targeted prevention and cessation efforts. Click here to read the abstract of the study, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Newly updated: Annotated bibliography of LGBT tobacco references
In January, the Network for LGBT Health Equity released an updated version of its annotated bibliography of research on tobacco use and LGBT populations. This comprehensive document contains summaries of over 300 publications. Click here to download a copy.

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Reports

Updated report: Tobacco Taxes and Their Impact on Low Socioeconomic Status Populations
Break Free Alliance recently released an updated version of the document, Tobacco Taxes and their Impact on Populations of Low Socioeconomic Status. This document has several useful recommendations for states as they pursue tobacco tax increases. Click here to view and download the document.

Fact sheets on Boards of Health addressing health disparities through tobacco use prevention and control
A series of new fact sheets from the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH), Boards of Health Addressing Health Disparities, features a set of one-page documents dedicated to tobacco use prevention among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Native Alaskans. These four factsheets are designed to aid board of health members in defining health disparities as well as understanding how these four subpopulations are affected by tobacco use. Click here to access the new fact sheets.

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