Misestimation of peer tobacco use: understanding disparities in tobacco use.
Blacks experience disproportionately elevated rates of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Blacks experience delayed smoking initiation relative to other racial/ethnic groups, highlighting the importance of examining smoking correlates occurring in late adolescence/early adulthood. The current study reports data collected as part of an ongoing collaborative effort to assess alcohol and drug use on the campuses of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Two-thousand, two-hundred, seventy-seven African-American subjects, aged 20.3 +/- 3.9 (range 18-53), completed the CORE Alcohol and Drug survey and a brief demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that 90% of all subjects overestimated the rate of smoking among their peers. Overestimating was associated with a > 80% increase in the risk of smoking. These data highlight the need to correct misinformation regarding smoking norms among students at some HBCUs.
Edwards
Christopher L
CL
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. christopher.edwards@duke.edu
Bennett
Gary G
GG
Wolin
Kathleen Y
KY
Johnson
Stephanie
S
Fowler
Sherrye
S
Whitfield
Keith E
KE
Askew
Sandy
S
MacKinnon
Dorene
D
McDougald
Camela
C
Hubbard
Robert
R
Wellington
Chanté
C
Feliu
Miriam
M
Robinson
Elwood
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities