Addictive behaviors
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Addictive behaviors · Jul 1994
Prevalence, patterns, and correlates of spit tobacco use in a college athlete population.
We surveyed varsity athletes (N = 1,328) in 16 California colleges about their patterns of spit (smokeless) tobacco (ST) use, related habits, reasons for use, and preferred methods for quitting. Prevalence of use was analyzed by sport and demographic characteristics, and patterns of use in players using snuff exclusively, using chewing tobacco exclusively, and those using both were compared. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, adjusting for ethnic group. ⋯ Snuff users indicated a greater perceived need for ST, but also were more ready to quit. These data suggest ST programs with prevention and cessation components are appropriate for high school as well as college athletes. Such interventions should focus on baseball players, distinguish snuff from chewing tobacco users in planning quit strategies, integrate intervention programs for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, provide training in refusal skills, and attempt to change social norms in support of ST use by integrating popular peers and significant others (e.g., wives/girlfriends) to endorse nonuse of ST.
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Addictive behaviors · Jul 1994
Planning a spit tobacco cessation intervention: identification of beliefs associated with addiction.
We examine the relationship between beliefs regarding spit tobacco (ST) use and addiction among 473 male college athletes who currently use ST. Beliefs were assessed using methods prescribed by the Theory of Reasoned Action. ⋯ We found that with increasing addiction level, athletes were significantly more likely to believe that "ST helps me relax," "ST keeps me alert," "ST tastes good," and "ST is addicting." All athletes believed that clinicians, parents, and girlfriends do not approve of their ST use, but that male peers, coaches, and professional athletes are fairly indifferent about it. To increase quit rates, highly addicted ST users may require an intensive cessation program including nicotine replacement to overcome symptoms of withdrawal, oral substitutes for the enjoyable taste of ST, and the support of male peers and athletes who influence their social norms.