Search

Objective: Smoking-related illnesses are the leading cause of death among Latinos, and within this ethnic group, Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup in the U.S. Understanding the factors associated with successful smoking cessation could inform interventions for this population. Although socioeconomic status (SES) is a powerful predictor of cessation outcomes in the general U.S. population, it has generally been a poor predictor of quitting smoking among Latinos. Within a sample of Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans (n = 199), this study examined a broad array of objective and subjective indicators of SES (i.e. income, education, employment, subjective social status, financial strain, insurance status) as predictors of smoking cessation. Design: Data for the current study came from a longitudinal cohort study examining the pathways linking the social determinants of health with smoking cessation. Generalized estimating equation modeling examined the association of each predictor variable with smoking abstinence across quit day, and the 3 and 26-weeks post-quit time points. Results: Results indicated that both low financial strain and insurance status predicted an increased likelihood of abstinence when controlling for covariates in the intention-to-treat analyses (p =.02 and p =.01, respectively). However, these models only approached significance in the multiple imputation analyses (all ps >.05). Other indicators of SES (i.e. income, education, employment) that have been predictive of cessation in other populations were not predictive of abstinence in this sample. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SES may indeed influence smoking cessation among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans similarly to its influence in other populations, but that capturing the construct of SES may require assessing a broader range of SES indicators. Specifically, low financial strain and having insurance predicted a greater likelihood of achieving smoking abstinence, whereas other indicators of SES (i.e. income, education) were not predictive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated the treatment needs and preferences of low socioeconomic status cervical cancer survivors to inform the adaptation of a theoretically- and empirically-based Motivation and Problem-Solving approach to facilitate cessation in this at-risk population. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 female smokers with cervical cancer. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo 10. Results: Most participants did not believe that smoking caused cervical cancer and attributed their diagnosis solely to human papillomavirus. They suggested that cessation treatment for cervical cancer survivors include psychoeducation about the impact of smoking on health and cancer and the benefits of quitting, pharmacotherapy, planning for quitting, strategies for coping with cravings/withdrawal, social support, real-time support, a nonjudgmental and understanding counselor, tailoring, and follow-up. They recommended that negativity/judgment and being told that "smoking is bad" not be included in treatment. Participants also suggested that treatment address stress management, issues specific to cervical cancer survivorship, and physical activity and healthy eating. Conclusions: Results highlight the unique treatment needs of low socioeconomic status smokers with cervical cancer and will inform the adaptation of an existing evidence-based intervention to encourage smoking cessation in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to address current gaps in the literature by examining the associations of fast food restaurant (FFR) density around the home and FFR proximity to the home, respectively, with body mass index (BMI) among a large sample of African American adults from Houston, Texas. Methods. We used generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations to examine associations of FFR density at 0.5-, 1-, 2-, and 5-mile road network buffers around the home with BMI and associations of the closest FFR to the home with BMI. All models were adjusted for a range of individual-level covariates and neighborhood socioeconomic status. We additionally investigated the moderating effects of household income on these relations. Data were collected from December 2008 to July 2009. Results. FFR density was not associated with BMI in the main analyses. However, FFR density at 0.5, 1, and 2 miles was positively associated with BMI among participants with lower incomes (P £ .025). Closer FFR proximity was associated with higher BMI among all participants (P < .001), with stronger associations emerging among those of lower income (P < .013) relative to higher income (P < .014). Conclusions. Additional research with more diverse African American samples is needed, but results supported the potential for the fast food environment to affect BMI among African Americans, particularly among those of lower economic means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]