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Background: Most women in the United States do not meet minimum recommendations for physical activity or fruit/vegetable consumption. Thus, many are overweight/obese and are at increased risk for cancer morbidity and mortality. This study investigated women's perceptions about the importance of physical activity and a healthy diet in preventing cancer, perceptions of engaging in these behaviors, and whether or not the behaviors met cancer prevention recommendations. Method: A cross-sectional, national, random-digit-dialed telephone survey was conducted with 800 women, ages 18 and older. The response rate was 24.5%. Measures assessed demographics, perceived health status, beliefs about the role of physical activity and diet in cancer prevention, perceived engagement in these behaviors, and actual behaviors. Results: Only 9.9% of women who reported eating a healthy diet met minimum fruit and vegetable recommendations; 39.7% of women who reported regular physical activity met the minimum recommendation. Analyses adjusted for demographics indicated that low education was associated with reporting regular physical activity to prevent cancer, yet failing to meet the minimum recommendation (odds ratio [OR]=0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82-0.98, p=0.01). Racial/ethnic minority status was marginally significantly associated with reporting eating a healthy diet to prevent cancer, yet failing to consume sufficient fruits and vegetables (OR=2.94, 95% CI : 0.99-8.71, p=0.05). Conclusions: Most women who reported eating a healthy diet and being physically active to prevent cancer failed to meet the minimum cancer prevention recommendations. Furthermore, low socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic minority women may be particularly vulnerable to discrepancies between beliefs and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine associations of the US and community subjective social status (SSS) ladders with smoking sta­tus, at-risk drinking, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and body mass index among 1467 church-going African American adults from a larger cohort study. Methods: Regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographics, exam­ined associations between SSS ladders and health behaviors. Results: The SSS-US ladder was significantly associated with fruit and vegetable consumption (p = .007) and physical activity (p = .005). The SSS-community ladder was not sig­nificantly associated with any health be­haviors. Conclusions: Among this sam­ple of African Americans, the SSS-US ladder is more predictive of some health behaviors than is the SSS-community ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and smoking cessation. Topics covered include the neighborhood contextual factors underlying the SES-health relationship, neighborhood characteristics that predict smoking cessation rates, and the need to create comprehensive conceptual models that elucidate pathways between tobacco cessation and SES.

Objectives. Associations between subjective social status, a subjective measure of socioeconomic status, and predictors of risk for postpartum smoking were examined among 123 pregnant women (aged 18-24 years) who stopped smoking because of pregnancy. The goal was to identify how subjective social status might influence the risk for postpartum smoking and to elucidate targets for intervention. Methods. We used multiple regression equations to examine the predictive relations between subjective social status and tobacco dependence, self-rated likelihood of postpartum smoking, confidence, temptations, positive and negative affect, depression, stress, and social support. Adjusted analyses were also conducted with control for race/ethnicity, education, income, and whether participant had a partner or not (partner status). Results. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, subjective social status predicted tobacco dependence, likelihood of postpartum smoking, confidence, temptations, positive affect, negative affect, and social support. Adjusted analyses predicting depression and stress approached significance. Conclusions. Among young pregnant women who quit smoking because of pregnancy, low subjective social status was associated with a constellation of characteristics indicative of increased vulnerability to postpartum smoking. Subjective social status provided unique information on risk for postpartum smoking over and above the effects of race/ethnicity, objective socioeconomic status, and partner status. (Am J Public Health. 2007;97:1476-1482. doi:10.2105/AJPH. 2006.101295) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]