A Comparison of Alternative Tobacco Product Usage, Knowledge and Beliefs Between the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community and Heterosexuals.
Within the United States, alternative tobacco product (ATP) and varies by geographic region, gender and age. Few articles have been published on the usage of these products among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) population. A web-based anonymous survey administered through Google Forms, was used to collect data on current tobacco usage, knowledge and beliefs from adult heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered persons residing in New York City from May 2014 to July 2014. Sixty-four individuals completed the survey; 30 were heterosexual and 32 identified as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. Heterosexuals were found to have tried cigarettes, on average, almost a year before the LGBTQ respondents. Social networks were influential to LGBTQ respondents for an introduction to smoking; 48.00% were introduced by friends, 28.00% by family, 12.00% by a significant other and 9.09% by someone else. For heterosexuals, 73.68% reported that friends introduced them to smoking. More heterosexuals reported trying hookah (N = 10), snus (N = 4) and roll your own cigarettes (N = 5). On average respondents knew of eight different tobacco products, regardless of sexual identity. To our knowledge, we present for the first time a comparison of people who tried, current and former users of ATPs, beliefs and knowledge about ATPs, and sources of knowledge of ATPs by sexual identity from NYC. More research is needed to examine the impact of social networks and the upcoming FDA regulations on ATPs have on the overall prevalence of usage among the LGBTQ community.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA. dej2008@med.cornell.edu.|Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY, 10065, USA. dej2008@med.cornell.edu.
Deanna P
DP
Jannat-Khah
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Simone A
SA
Reynolds
Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
LeConté J
LJ
Dill
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Michael A
MA
Joseph
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D011634:Public Health; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019529:Sexuality; D012944:Social Support; D000073867:Water Pipe Smoking; D055815:Young Adult
Alternative tobacco; Attitudes; Beliefs; Electronic cigarettes; LGBTQ