title: Predictors of the Nicotine Dependence Behavior Time to the First Cigarette in a Multiracial Cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The time to first cigarette of the day (TTFC) is a strong indicator of nicotine dependence behaviors such as nicotine uptake and quit success in young and older smokers. There are substantial differences in levels of nicotine dependence by race and ethnic group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from Wave III of the multiracial National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed for young smokers between the ages of 21 and 28 (N = 1,425). Time to first cigarette data was compared between Hispanic, White, Black, Native American, and Asian smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Black smokers were significantly more likely to smoke within 5min of waking than White, Hispanic, and Asian smokers. Lower personal income predicted smoking within 5min of waking for both White and Black smokers. For White smokers, increased number of cigarettes per day and increased years of smoking also predicted smoking within 5min of waking. The number of days smoked or number of cigarettes per day did not predict smoking within 5min of waking among smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher prevalence of early TTFC among Blacks indicates increased nicotine and carcinogen exposure, and may help explain the increased lung cancer rates and failed cessation attempts among Black smokers. TTFC may be an important screening item, independent of cigarettes per day, for clinicians and interventions to identify those at highest risk for cessation failure and disease risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; Sab57@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Branstetter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA;
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercincavage
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
authors.forename: Joshua E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Muscat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D044383:Black People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D062789:Tobacco Products; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult