Tobacco-Related Disparities in Specific Populations

Research

New special journal issue underscores need to increase access and exposure to tobacco interventions among minorities and low socioeconomic groups
The American Journal of Health Promotion has published a special journal issue, Cigarette Smoking Interventions among Diverse Populations. This issue includes fifteen papers that provide insight into how to effectively reduce tobacco's impact on populations that are disproportionately affected by tobacco use. In this special issue, researchers examine the use and efficacy of various evidence-based interventions among diverse populations, including African Americans and Hispanics. The body of research shows that population-based approaches to smoking cessation, like mass media campaigns and quitlines, can influence quitting behaviors among several groups that are excessively affected by tobacco. Click here to read more, or click here to view the table of contents for the special issue.

Positive media campaigns help minorities put down cigarettes
According to a new study, media campaigns that target African American smokers and offer positive encouragement may be effective in eliciting quit attempts. Researchers surveyed 4,067 current adult smokers before and six months after the 2008 launch of the “EX campaign,” which used positive messages to decrease cigarette consumption. The results from the study indicated that African Americans who were aware of the campaign were three times more likely to make a quit attempt than those who were not, and those with less than a high school education doubled their odds of making a quit attempt during the campaign period. These findings indicate that positive health communication messages may be effective among African American audiences. Read more here, or read the study abstract published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

African Americans more active users of smoking quitlines
According to a new observational survey study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, African Americans are more likely to use quitlines and are more responsive to media messages than whites. Data were used from six cycles of the California Tobacco Survey conducted between 1992 and 2009. The results showed that African Americans were 44% to 140% more likely than whites to call the quitline in five out of six cycles of the survey, and were more responsive to media messages highlighting the quitline services than whites. The researchers emphasize the importance of promoting quitlines to help reduce disparities in the use of tobacco cessation services. Read more here, or see the abstract.

Rates and reasons: Disparities in low intentions to use a state smoking cessation quitline
A recent study measured smokers’ intentions to call a state quitline and reasons why smokers choose not to call. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of the 2008 Colorado Adult Tobacco Attitudes and Behavior Survey. The data showed that of the adult smokers who had heard of the Colorado Quitline, 45.6% intended never to call the quitline, and the most common reason for not intending to call, cited by 34.8% of respondents, was the perception of not needing assistance. Subpopulations that had higher odds than the general population of not intending to call the quitline included: Latinos, gay/lesbian/bisexuals, and those with no insurance (vs. Medicaid). Click here to read the abstract of the study, which was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

top

Reports

Barring intervention? Lesbian and gay bars as an underutilized venue for tobacco interventions
A paper published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research suggests that lesbian and gay bars are underutilized in tobacco control. Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities are at a high risk for tobacco use, and consider bars to be significant parts of their social lives. The authors found that only a few public health interventions have targeted LGBT bars as locations to intervene on smoking, none of which have been published. The authors suggest that creating smoking interventions at these locations could decrease the disparities seen in smoking rates among these communities. Read more here.

top

Back to Table of Contents