Exploring Cigarette Dependence in African-American Men
Alton Hart Jr., M.D., M.P.H.
Principle investigator
Funding source
National Cancer Institutes/NIH (1R03CA141994-01)
Specific aims
- Examine whether specific cultural strategies influence nicotine dependence in adult African-American male smokers.
- Explore whether cultural factors (e.g. John Henryism) influence tobacco dependence in adult African-American male smokers.
- Examine whether gender-related factors (e.g. male role norms) influence tobacco dependence in adult African-American male smokers.
- Explore whether cultural factors influence coping efforts in response to stressors in adult African-American male smokers.
- Investigate whether gender-related factors influence coping efforts in response to stressors in adult African-American male smokers.
- Use qualitative methods to better understand these variables in the context of a pilot stress management intervention (R21) to reduce tobacco dependence in adult African-American male smokers.
Significance
While African-American men have higher rates of tobacco-related cancer deaths compared to white men, a disparately small amount of smoking cessation research has involved African-American men. A number of studies have suggested a link between stress and lower quit rates among African-Americans. Previous researchers have also hypothesized that smoking is the result of poor coping strategies to deal with stressors. While some researchers have reported that there is limited evidence to support smoking-cessations targeted toward minorities, clinical guidelines and others have called for more minority-focused smoking cessations studies. However, no studies to date have explored whether culturally targeted stress management interventions result in lower cigarette consumption among African-American smokers, especially African-American males. Further, little is known about what factors are relevant to stress and smoking among African-American males to enable a stress intervention. Results of the proposed project will have applicability for better understanding smoking behaviors and nicotine dependence among adult African-American male smokers. Further, the results of this pilot study will serve as the basis for developing a pilot stress management intervention for adult African-American male smokers.