title: Smoking abstinence-related expectancies among American Indians, African Americans, and women: potential mechanisms of tobacco-related disparities.
abstract: Research has documented tobacco-related health disparities by race and gender. Prior research, however, has not examined expectancies about the smoking cessation process (i.e., abstinence-related expectancies) as potential contributors to tobacco-related disparities in special populations. This cross-sectional study compared abstinence-related expectancies between American Indian (n = 87), African American (n = 151), and White (n = 185) smokers, and between women (n = 231) and men (n = 270) smokers. Abstinence-related expectancies also were examined as mediators of race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self efficacy. Results indicated that American Indians and African Americans were less likely than Whites to expect withdrawal effects, and more likely to expect that quitting would be unproblematic. African Americans also were less likely than Whites to expect smoking cessation interventions to be effective. Compared with men, women were more likely to expect withdrawal effects and weight gain. These expectancy differences mediated race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Findings emphasize potential mechanisms underlying tobacco-related health disparities among American Indians, African Americans, and women and suggest a number of specific approaches for targeting tobacco dependence interventions to these populations.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society.
authors.forename: J Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Westmaas
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, San Jose State University.
authors.forename: Van M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ta Park
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California.
authors.forename: Sabrina B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California.
authors.forename: Majel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
authors.forename: R Marsh
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Webb Hooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California.
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Delucchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California.
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology