Nisha Singh - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Nisha Singh

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2013

introduction: Menthol cigarette and marijuana use among adolescents is high; however, little is k... more introduction: Menthol cigarette and marijuana use among adolescents is high; however, little is known about dual use in this age. Thus, we examined these rates among 2 samples of adolescents in Connecticut. Methods: Study 1 examined a school-wide survey assessing variables related to cigarettes and marijuana among high school students (N = 837 [13% smokers]), and Study 2 examined these factors using baseline data of high school-aged, treatmentseeking, daily cigarette smokers prior to quitting (N = 132). results: In Study 1, lifetime marijuana use among all adolescents was 33% and past 30-day marijuana use was 21%. Among cigarette smokers, 55% reported smoking menthol cigarettes, 84% reported lifetime marijuana use, and 66% reported past 30-day marijuana use. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models indicated that cigarette smokers, when compared with nonsmokers, had greater rates of lifetime (odds ratio [OR] = 10.91) and past 30-day marijuana use (OR = 10.44). Among smokers, use of menthol cigarettes, when compared with use of nonmenthol cigarettes, was associated with greater lifetime (OR = 5.05) but not past 30-day marijuana use. In Study 2 with daily smokers, 59% of adolescents reported use of menthol cigarettes and 66% reported past 30-day marijuana use. Compared with nonmenthol cigarette smokers, menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to report past 30-day marijuana use (OR = 2.44). Conclusions: Cigarette smoking is associated with marijuana use, and among smokers, menthol cigarette smoking further increased the odds of marijuana use. More research on the dual use of marijuana and tobacco is needed to inform prevention and treatment of substance use.

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2012

remained constant and may have even risen in recent years (Centers for Disease Control and Preven... more remained constant and may have even risen in recent years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). These discrepant rates are known to extend into adulthood and may explain disproportionate rates of tobacco-related diseases that affect minority populations (Wong, Shapiro, Boscardin, & Ettner, 2002). To address this major health burden, interventions aimed at minority adolescents that preclude smoking initiation among nonsmokers and cease smoking among smokers are critical. In the United States, epidemiological evidence suggests that African American adolescents have lower levels of smoking initiation and current smoking than White and Hispanic adolescents (Griesler & Kandel, 1998 ; Kandel, Kiros, Schaffran, & Hu, 2004). However, smoking rates among African Americans grow and even surpass that of their White counterparts during adulthood (25.6% versus 23.5%; Garrett, Dube, Trosclair, Caraballo, & Pechacek, 2011). Importantly, 68.1% of African American adolescent smokers want to quit , but the actual quit rate is at 8.7% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Similar disparities exist among Hispanic adolescents; for example, Hispanic adolescents have smoking rates that are as high as or higher than those of White adolescents (Ellickson, Orlando, Tucker, & Klein, 2004), and although smoking rates in White adolescents decreased from 2006 to 2009 (9.2% to 7.1%), Hispanic adolescents showed trends of increased use in this same time period (10.9% to 11.1%) and exceeded the rates of use among White adolescents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Less examined but still of considerate concern are smoking behaviors of Asian Americans, American Indians, and Hawaiian/ Pacifi c Islanders. Evidence from the National Youth Tobacco Survey indicates that even though Asian American youth smoke at a lower rate than other minority groups, this rate grows in late adolescence; as 12th graders, 42.5% initiated smoking and 33.0% smoked in the past 30 days; these rates are higher than the rates of other racial/ethnic minority groups (Appleyard, Messeri, & Haviland, 2001). American Indian youth show high rates tobacco use at an early age; cigarette use is 30.6% in 5th grade, 60.4% in 7th grade , and smokeless tobacco use is 19.0% in

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2013

introduction: Menthol cigarette and marijuana use among adolescents is high; however, little is k... more introduction: Menthol cigarette and marijuana use among adolescents is high; however, little is known about dual use in this age. Thus, we examined these rates among 2 samples of adolescents in Connecticut. Methods: Study 1 examined a school-wide survey assessing variables related to cigarettes and marijuana among high school students (N = 837 [13% smokers]), and Study 2 examined these factors using baseline data of high school-aged, treatmentseeking, daily cigarette smokers prior to quitting (N = 132). results: In Study 1, lifetime marijuana use among all adolescents was 33% and past 30-day marijuana use was 21%. Among cigarette smokers, 55% reported smoking menthol cigarettes, 84% reported lifetime marijuana use, and 66% reported past 30-day marijuana use. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models indicated that cigarette smokers, when compared with nonsmokers, had greater rates of lifetime (odds ratio [OR] = 10.91) and past 30-day marijuana use (OR = 10.44). Among smokers, use of menthol cigarettes, when compared with use of nonmenthol cigarettes, was associated with greater lifetime (OR = 5.05) but not past 30-day marijuana use. In Study 2 with daily smokers, 59% of adolescents reported use of menthol cigarettes and 66% reported past 30-day marijuana use. Compared with nonmenthol cigarette smokers, menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to report past 30-day marijuana use (OR = 2.44). Conclusions: Cigarette smoking is associated with marijuana use, and among smokers, menthol cigarette smoking further increased the odds of marijuana use. More research on the dual use of marijuana and tobacco is needed to inform prevention and treatment of substance use.

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2012

remained constant and may have even risen in recent years (Centers for Disease Control and Preven... more remained constant and may have even risen in recent years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). These discrepant rates are known to extend into adulthood and may explain disproportionate rates of tobacco-related diseases that affect minority populations (Wong, Shapiro, Boscardin, & Ettner, 2002). To address this major health burden, interventions aimed at minority adolescents that preclude smoking initiation among nonsmokers and cease smoking among smokers are critical. In the United States, epidemiological evidence suggests that African American adolescents have lower levels of smoking initiation and current smoking than White and Hispanic adolescents (Griesler & Kandel, 1998 ; Kandel, Kiros, Schaffran, & Hu, 2004). However, smoking rates among African Americans grow and even surpass that of their White counterparts during adulthood (25.6% versus 23.5%; Garrett, Dube, Trosclair, Caraballo, & Pechacek, 2011). Importantly, 68.1% of African American adolescent smokers want to quit , but the actual quit rate is at 8.7% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Similar disparities exist among Hispanic adolescents; for example, Hispanic adolescents have smoking rates that are as high as or higher than those of White adolescents (Ellickson, Orlando, Tucker, & Klein, 2004), and although smoking rates in White adolescents decreased from 2006 to 2009 (9.2% to 7.1%), Hispanic adolescents showed trends of increased use in this same time period (10.9% to 11.1%) and exceeded the rates of use among White adolescents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Less examined but still of considerate concern are smoking behaviors of Asian Americans, American Indians, and Hawaiian/ Pacifi c Islanders. Evidence from the National Youth Tobacco Survey indicates that even though Asian American youth smoke at a lower rate than other minority groups, this rate grows in late adolescence; as 12th graders, 42.5% initiated smoking and 33.0% smoked in the past 30 days; these rates are higher than the rates of other racial/ethnic minority groups (Appleyard, Messeri, & Haviland, 2001). American Indian youth show high rates tobacco use at an early age; cigarette use is 30.6% in 5th grade, 60.4% in 7th grade , and smokeless tobacco use is 19.0% in