Gender differences in the association between perceived discrimination and adolescent smoking.
OBJECTIVE
We examined associations between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, gender, and cigarette smoking among adolescents.


METHODS
We examined data on Black and Latino adolescents aged 12 to 19 years who participated in the Moving to Opportunity study (N = 2561). Perceived discrimination was assessed using survey items asking about unfair treatment because of race/ethnicity in the prior 6 months. We used logistic regression to investigate associations between discrimination and smoking, stratified by gender and controlling for covariates.


RESULTS
One fourth of adolescents reported that discrimination had occurred in at least 1 location. Discrimination was associated with increased odds of smoking among boys (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 3.0) and decreased odds among girls (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.3, 1.1). Discrimination at school or work contributed to associations for girls (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.1, 0.9), and discrimination at shops (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.1, 3.8) and by police (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2, 3.4) contributed to associations for boys.


CONCLUSIONS
Associations between discrimination and smoking differ by gender. Girls' decreased smoking in higher-discrimination settings may be a result of protective factors associated with where they spend time. Boys' increased smoking in higher-discrimination settings may reflect increased stress from gender-specific targeting by police and businesses.
Wiehe
Sarah E
SE
Children's Health Services Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. lstultz@iupui.edu
Aalsma
Matthew C
MC
Liu
Gilbert C
GC
Fortenberry
J Dennis
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011287:Prejudice; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*