Tobacco-Related Disparities in Specific Populations

Research

A nationwide analysis of US racial/ethnic disparities in smoking behaviors, smoking cessation, and cessation-related factors
A new study in the American Journal of Public Health shows that there are significant differences in smoking behavior and cessation among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Researchers used data from the 2003 Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS) to examine tobacco-related disparities related to smoking behavior and frequency, home smoking restrictions, cessation advice from health providers, quit attempts, and use of cessation aids. They found that lower proportions of African Americans, Asian American/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic/Latinos had ever smoked compared with non-Hispanic Whites, and that these minorities were more likely to be light or occasional smokers. While equally likely to receive advice from a health professional to quit, minorities were less likely to use nicotine replacement therapy, and African-Americans were less likely to report long-term abstinence from smoking. These results demonstrate that there are variations in smoking and cessation behavior among different racial/ethnic groups that should be considered in order to tailor cessation programs. Click here to read the study abstract.

Tobacco craving increased in smokers with schizophrenia
According to a new study, smokers diagnosed with schizophrenia experience more intense tobacco cravings compared to those without the condition. Study participants, 100 smokers with schizophrenia and 100 smokers without psychiatric disorders, completed Tobacco Craving Questionnaire-Short Form (TCQ-SF) surveys immediately after smoking a cigarette and again 15 minutes later. The results showed that TCQ-SF scores were higher among people with schizophrenia 15 minutes after smoking than in controls, indicating a greater level of tobacco craving despite the two groups being similar in terms of number of cigarettes smoked per day, expired breath carbon monoxide (an indicator of cigarette consumption), and age at smoking initiation. The findings demonstrate the importance of providing smoking cessation and prevention programs that are effective for people with schizophrenia. Click here for more information, or click here for the abstract of the study, presented in Schizophrenia Research.

Socioeconomic variation in recall and perceived effectiveness of campaign advertisements to promote smoking cessation
Research presented in the journal Social Science & Medicine indicates that smoking cessation advertisements that use emotional or graphic elements generate better responses among lower socioeconomic status (SES) populations than ads that only provide information on how to quit smoking. Researchers analyzed data from a web survey of over 7,000 adult smokers that assessed awareness of and responses to smoking cessation ads in New York. When analyzed by SES, researchers found that smokers with lower SES less often recalled ads that focused on “how to quit” than those that used graphic images or personal stories to explain why to quit. Lower SES smokers also perceived “how to quit” ads as less effective than “why to quit” ads. The authors note that while this study demonstrates that campaigns targeting lower SES audiences should use graphic or emotive “why” messages, “how” messages should not be discounted entirely, especially if they use personal testimonies and emphasize free services. Click here to read more.

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International

Women and the smoking epidemic: Turning the tide
A paper published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization suggests that there is a link between the ratio of female to male smoking rates and gender empowerment in several countries worldwide. Researchers analyzed the relationship between the United Nations Development Program’s gender empowerment measure (GEM) and the gender smoking ratio (GSR) of female to male smokers in 74 countries in various stages of the tobacco epidemic. When controlling for gross national income per capita and income inequality, the researchers found that there was a significant association between the GSR and the GEM of a given country, indicating women’s increased empowerment was associated with a higher ratio of female-to-male cigarette smoking prevalence. The study highlights the need to implement tobacco control policies, especially in countries where women’s empowerment is rising. Click here to read more, or read the abstract of the study here.

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