Smoking in urban African Americans: behaviors, gender differences, and motivation to quit.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes smoking behaviors and gender differences, and correlates these factors with motivation to quit smoking among African-American smokers at a community-based health center.


METHODS
A 62-item survey assessed depression, hassles, readiness to change, and demographics.


METHODS
Participants (N = 81) were interviewed in an adult clinic waiting room.


RESULTS
On average, participants smoked 13 cigarettes per day. Many reported attempts to reduce smoking-related health risks: 46% switched brands, 57% reduced their smoking, and 19% smoked only on some days. Fifty-nine percent indicated depressive symptoms. For women vs men, noteworthy differences were: reduction in number of cigarettes smoked (66.7% vs 40.0%; P = .023), switching brands (58.8% vs 23.3%; P = .003), number of attempts to quit in the past year (2.7 vs 1.2; P = .034), and high concern about weight gain (52.9% vs 26.7%; P = .047). Cigarettes smoked per day was negatively correlated with motivation to quit (P = .022). Variables positively correlated with motivation to quit included: harm reduction strategies (P = .002), intention to quit in 30 days (P<.0001), and intention to quit in 6 months (P<.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Women showed more potential indications of readiness to quit, including more attempts to quit, reductions in number of cigarette smoked, and brand switching. Knowledge of cessation barriers, gender differences, and correlates to motivation may prove useful for investigators conducting research in this population.
Woods
M N
MN
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City 66160-7313, USA.
Harris
K J
KJ
Ahluwalia
J S
JS
Schmelzle
K H
KH
Mayo
M S
MS
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric