American journal of preventive medicine
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This study describes the patterns and predictors of smokeless tobacco (ST) use in a large sample of urban public school students in Los Angeles and San Diego. The use of ST is more common among men than women and among Caucasians than African Americans, Hispanics, and others. Approximately 20% of the male respondents and 5% of the female respondents reported use of ST at least once, and 10.1% of male students and 3.1% of female students who had never tried ST by seventh grade started to use it by eighth grade. ⋯ This study supports a problem-prone behavior perspective of ST use and cigarette smoking. We suggest that both products be targeted because the same programs are likely to apply to both products to counteract problem-prone type variables. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): tobacco, smokeless chewing tobacco, adolescent behavior.
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Reduction of cigarette smoking among Southeast Asian men is a national health promotion objective for the year 2000. Early onset of cigarette smoking is known to be a risk factor for later nicotine addiction, yet little is known about tobacco patterns among Southeast Asian youths. Using questionnaire items from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) translated into Vietnamese and Spanish, this article reports such data on a school-based sample of Vietnamese adolescents in Worcester, Massachusetts, and compares smoking and other tobacco use among Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic adolescents. ⋯ The prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among Vietnamese boys (12.0%) was similar to that among other minority boys but was rare among Vietnamese girls. This study is the first to document the rates of tobacco use among Vietnamese adolescents, and the findings suggest that Vietnamese boys should be targeted in efforts to achieve the goal of reducing smoking among Southeast Asian men. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): adolescent behavior, health surveys, smoking, health promotion, tobacco, smokeless, Asians, Asian Americans, Vietnam.
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This study examines the correlates of screening for both breast and cervical cancer combined in a single indicator. Data used were from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. We used two indices to characterize the receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening among women 50-75 years of age. ⋯ The data suggest that barriers to mammography screening remain even among women who are screened by CBE and Pap. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to educate primary care physicians and their patients to view different components of preventive health--CBE, Pap smear testing, breast self-examination, and mammographic screening--as equally necessary and interrelated. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): screening, mammography, cervical cancer, Pap, breast exam.
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Low-cost generic cigarettes grew dramatically in market share between 1990 and 1993, raising concerns that some smokers might view generics as an alternative to quitting. We report sociodemographic predictors of generic brand choice among a cross-sectional sample of California smokers and investigate changes in brand choice in a longitudinal sample of California smokers between 1990 and 1992. We also focus on brand preferences among California adolescents. ⋯ Generics were less popular among adolescents than among adults. Generic cigarettes provide a low-cost alternative to price-sensitive smokers, but further studies are needed to establish the role and influence of generic cigarettes on smoking prevalence and public health. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): smoking, smoking cessation, adolescent behavior, women, prevalence.
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To evaluate the effects of cigarette advertising on brand switching, an accurate estimate of the extent of cigarette brand and company switching among current smokers is needed. Data from the 1986 Adult Use-of-Tobacco Survey were analyzed to estimate the percentage of adult smokers who switched cigarette brands and companies in the previous year. ⋯ Based on this analysis, brand switching alone justifies only a small percentage of a cigarette company's advertising and promotion expenditures, suggesting that future research should address other potential effects of advertising, including maintenance of brand loyalty and expanding the cigarette market. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): addictive behavior, advertising, smoking, tobacco.