title: Psychological distress and smoking behavior: the nature of the relation differs by race/ethnicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We explored how the relation between psychological distress and smoking behavior differed as a function of race/ethnicity of respondents to a representative national survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey were analyzed. Participants reported experiences of psychological distress in the past 30 days, race/ethnicity, current smoking status (smoker/nonsmoker), and number of cigarettes smoked per day. Logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to examine the influence of race, distress, and their interaction on smoking behavior using survey weighting techniques to account for sampling strategy and nonresponse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For current smoking status, there was a significant interaction between race and psychological distress. Follow-up analyses indicated that psychological distress was related to smoking status for White but not for Black or Hispanic respondents. Similar results were found for number of cigarettes smoked per day among current smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the often-reported association between psychological distress and smoking is relatively specific to White individuals. The relation does not appear to characterize either Black or Hispanic individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, 314 Kimball Tower, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. mtk8@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Marc T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kiviniemi
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orom
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Giovino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*