Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Norval Hickman, MS, Irma Corral, BA, Elizabeth Klonoff, PhD, and Hope Landrine, PhD. SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92120, 619-594-4643, nhickman@projects.sdsu.edu

OBJECTIVES: Studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), but few have examined possible ethnic differences in home-ETS exposure and rules regarding smoking at home. This study did so for representative samples of American Indian, Mexican-, and African-American adults. METHODS: Data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (a random-digit-dial telephone survey) were used; the study sample consisted of 1,212 American Indian, 5,702 Mexican-American, and 2,694 African-American adults (5,665 women and 3,943 men). The prevalence of and rules for household smoking were based on survey responses. RESULTS: Chi-square analyses revealed that American Indians (15.9%) and African-Americans (14.6%) were significantly more likely to have a smoker in the home than Mexican-Americans (5.0%), and that American Indians (22.4%) and African-Americans (24.7%) were significantly more likely to permit household smoking than Mexican-Americans (9.2%). Furthermore, Mexican-American men (10.4%) were more permissive of household smoking than women (8.4%); however, there were no gender differences for African-Americans or American Indians. CONCLUSIONS: California Mexican-Americans have stricter rules about household smoking than other ethnic minority groups; results are discussed in terms of culturally-tailoring interventions for African-Americans and American Indians.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify cultural issues influencing environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
• Define household rules about tobacco smoke.
• Create culturally-tailored recommendations for reducing tobacco smoke in the home.

Keywords: Ethnic Minorities, Environmental Exposures

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 247.3 kb)