Cigarette smoking topography among alternative school youth: why African American youth smoke less but are at higher long-term risk.
A paradox exists in health disparities research where African-American cigarette smokers consume fewer cigarettes per day, yet experience higher rates of tobacco-related disease compared to White American smokers. In this study we conducted focus group interviews among alternative high school youth (N = 78; age 18-19 years old) in an urban area in Southwest Texas to investigate if African-American youth smoke cigarettes differently than their White-American and Hispanic-American counterparts. The majority of African-American participants reported inhaling deeper and smoking their cigarettes "to the filter" because of their concern over wasting any part of an expensive cigarette. White and Hispanic respondents most often put out their cigarettes closer to the middle, and did not express concern about wasting cigarettes. The implication from this qualitative study is that because African Americans smoke differently they are exposed to a higher level of harmful particulate per cigarette. Further research on smoking topography is warranted.
University of Texas-Houston, School of Public Health, 7000 Fannin, Suite 2618, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Ronald.J.Peters@uth.tmc.edu
Ronald J
RJ
Peters
Steven H
SH
Kelder
Regina Jones
RJ
Johnson
Alexander V
AV
Prokhorov
Angela
A
Meshack
Troy
T
Jefferson
E James
EJ
Essien
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students; D013995:Time; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult