Smoking differences among African American, Hispanic, and White middle school students in an urban setting (original) (raw)

Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and smoking among early adolescent girls in the United States

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2009

Background-This study uses large nationally representative samples of White, Black, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Other Latina, Asian American, and American Indian 8th-grade girls to examine racial/ethnic differences and similarities in patterns, trends, and socioeconomic correlates of cigarette use.

Tobacco use among racial and ethnic population subgroups of adolescents in the United States

Preventing chronic disease, 2006

Limited data on cigarette smoking among population subgroups hinder the development and implementation of intervention strategies for those subgroups. Because of small sample sizes or inadequate study formats, cigarette smoking among youths has been studied mostly among broad racial or ethnic categories (e.g., Asian, Hispanic) instead of subgroups (e.g., Vietnamese, Cuban). The objective of this study was to evaluate cigarette smoking among U.S. youths by racial and ethnic subgroups. The study used a nationally representative sample of youths aged 12 to 17 years who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 1999, 2000, or 2001. Outcomes measured include prevalence of cigarette smoking, mean age of smoking initiation, and susceptibility to start smoking. The prevalence of smoking among youths aged 12 to 17 years varied among racial and ethnic subgroups, ranging from 27.9% for American Indians and Alaska Natives to 5.2% for Japanese. Among youths aged 12 to 17 year...

Prevalence and correlates of initiation of smoking behavior among preteen black and white children

Journal of the National Medical Association, 2004

This study estimated smoking prevalence and identified factors associated with initiation among preteens in Nashville, TN. An anonymous, self-administrated questionnaire was given to 238 fifth- and sixth-graders in a middle-class neighborhood school. The mean age at initiation was 8.5 years (range 6-11 years). Overall, 10.5% of students had ever smoked; 16.1% of blacks and 9.3% of whites. Eighty-six percent continued to smoke. Black sixth-graders smoked (26.9%) four times the rate of black fifth-graders and 2.5 times that of white sixth-graders. Relatives initiated 78% of blacks while friends initiated 68% of whites. One-quarter of smokers got their cigarettes at home. Regular attendees of religious services had a lower smoking rate (6.9% versus 16.4%; p=0.01). Smoking rates decreased with increased knowledge of risks (p=0.00001). Among smokers, none believed that smoking is a risk factor for heart disease, 96% did not believe that smoking has any short-term health effects or is a r...

Correlates and predictors of smoking among black adolescents

Addictive Behaviors, 1992

Little is known about the etiology of cigarette smoking among minority populations. This study examines the correlates and predictors of smoking among inner-city black seventh graders (N = 608). Enhanced self-reports of cigarette smoking were collected along with data concerning demographic, social, and psychological factors hypothesized to promote smoking initiation. Results indicate that social environmental factors, such as the smoking status of friends and siblings, and individual factors, such as refusal assertiveness. general assertiveness, and age are predictive of current smoking. Similarly, the smoking status of friends. attitudes concerning the harmful effects of xnoking, and low self-esteem concerning school are predictive ofbehavioral intention to smoke in the future. Overall. the factors that were the most salient predictors of smoking for the black adolescents in this study are generally congruent with the existing literature for other populations.

Patterns of Cigarette Use Among Black and White Adolescents

American Journal on Addictions, 1995

The autbors comparedpeer and familial correlates of smoking among black and non-Hispanic white teenagers. Some earlier scbool-based studies suggested tbat black teem are predominately peer-driven smokers and not especially influenced by parental smoking bebavior. Using national and California-based survey data, tbe autbors applied logistic regression analysis to corroborate earlier researcb indicating, among botb samples of black teens, tbat smoking was signifi'cantly associated witb baving best friends and siblings who smoke, and parental smoking did not correlate significantly witb smoking. For the non-Hispanic wbite subsamples, tbe evidence was less clear. Logistic regression data also sbowed adolescent smoking primarily as a peer-and sibling-influenced activity. (American Journal on Addictions 1995; 4215-225) revious research has repeatedly dem-P onstrated two important correlates of adolescent smoking: 1) smoking prevalence is higher in families where parents themselves smoke;'-3 and 2) peer smoking represents a powerful influence on desire both to initiate and maintain regular patterns of tobacco use! Yet two studies done exclusively among black teenagers, one of which was carried out re~ently,~'~ failed to find an association between parents' smoking and their teenagers' smoking behavior. On the basis of these results, Botvin and associates recommended that smoking cessation efforts among black teens be focused primarily on the resistance to peer and older-sibling influences.6 A primary concern prompting the present inquiry-that the two previously mentioned studies were carried out exclusively among inner-city black youth and were derived from school-based samples. Research results recommending particular kinds of smoking prevention and cessation programs should ideally be broad-based, representing suburban and rural black

Racial Disparities in Tobacco Use and Social Influences in a Rural Southern Middle School

Journal of School Health, 2006

This study investigated racial differences of tobacco use and social exposure to tobacco products in a sample of middle school students. Questionnaires were administered in January 2005 to 290 students in a Mississippi Delta-area middle school. The participants were 51.0% female and 56.6% African American. Unadjusted odds ratios revealed that Caucasian students were statistically more likely than were African American students to (1) have ever tried smoking, (2) have ever been a daily smoker, (3) have smoked in the past 30 days, (4) live with someone who smokes, (5) have seen a parent or guardian smoke, and (6) have friends who smoke. In contrast, African Americans were more likely to report ''no one is allowed to smoke'' in their home. Caucasian females had the highest rates of smoking, as well as the highest exposure to social smoking behaviors. This study not only showed that Caucasians were indeed smoking more but also that African American adolescents do not have the same exposure to social smoking, particularly African American females. Of particular interest was why the differences eventually dissipate and smoking rates are virtually the same in adulthood. A greater understanding of the impact of exposure to tobacco use on an adolescent's own tobacco use is vital to prevention efforts, especially in regard to racial differences. Future research on youth tobacco prevention and cessation programs should focus on sociocultural and racial differences in the development of tobacco use in adolescents. (

Ethnic variation in socioenvironmental factors that influence adolescent smoking

Journal of Adolescent Health, 2005

Purpose: To compare black, Hispanic and white adolescent smokers on socioenvironmental factors associated with smoking. Methods: The study uses a cross-sectional design. A needs assessment of 1305 current, former and never adolescent smokers from four ethnically and geographically diverse sites in the United States was conducted in 1999. Two sites were selected because they represented urban cities in the Northeast and Midwest with a high proportion of black and Hispanic residents. Two additional sites were selected to recruit rural and suburban adolescents. From this larger sample, 181 subjects from three focal ethnic groups (white n ϭ 138; black n ϭ 24; Hispanic n ϭ 19) who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and were current smokers (smoked in the past 30 days) were included. The three ethnic groups were compared on the following variables of interest: peer and family influences on smoking, situational factors associated with smoking, places that were likely sites for smoking and perceptions of friends and family as potential support persons for quitting smoking. All data were analyzed with Chi-square analysis. Results: Almost all (96%) of the black adolescents lived with another smoker compared to 68% of Hispanic and 60% of whites (p ϭ .004). Black teens were more likely to smoke with family members (50%) than Hispanics (5%) or whites (25%) (p ϭ .003). In addition, 50% of black teens compared to 5% of Hispanics and 12% of white teens, reported smoking to fit in (p Ͻ .0001). Black teens in this study emphasized the familial and social pressures of smoking. Higher rates of acceptance of smoking by family members, role modeling by household members, more prevalent beliefs that smoking is a way to achieve belonging, and lack of perceived support for quitting by friends appear to influence cigarette smoking more for black than white or Hispanic youth. Conclusions: These preliminary results indicate that familial and household norms play a critical role in influencing cigarette smoking among black teens.