Darker skin color is associated with a lower likelihood of smoking cessation among males but not females

Measuring skin color inequality in women's health in Northeast Brazil: Evidence from the PCSVDFMulher survey

In this paper, we investigate whether skin color is a source of inequality in women's health by exploring the longitudinal framework of the PCSVDFMulher survey in Northeast Brazil. Specifically, we measure the skin color gradient in women's general and mental health, as well as in showing health risk behavior. We find that darker-skinned women show poorer mental health outcomes and a higher likelihood of drinking and smoking more frequently than their lighter-skinned counterparts. The skin color gradient is persistent and systematic, even when modeling different sources of unobserved heterogeneity and accounting for the existing socioeconomic inequalities and racial identity. We also find that racial identity is an important source of heterogeneous responses of women's health to skin tone.

The Role of Financial Strain and Educational Attainment on Smoking Abstinence of African Americans and Whites Who Smoke

Objective

To examine if reduced financial strain and higher educational attainment would confer less advantage for successful cessation among African Americans than for White individuals.

Design

A secondary data analysis of the Quit2Live study, a smoking cessation intervention for individuals who smoke.

Setting

Recruited participants from a metropolitan city in the Midwest.

Participants

The sample included 224 African American and 225 White individuals who smoke.

Main Outcome Measures

Our outcome variable was cotinine-verified smoking abstinence at the end-of-treatment (week 12). Our explanatory variables were a combination of financial strain (high, low) and educational attainment (high, low).

Methods

We implemented a logistic regression analysis and a two-way interaction of the combined financial strain and educational attainment variable and race on smoking abstinence.

Results

About 25% of the study participants were low financial strain and high education, 41% high financial strain and high education, 23% high financial strain and low education, and 11% low financial strain and low education. A greater proportion of African Americans vs Whites were in the high financial strain/low educational attainment category (28% vs 18%, P = .01). Participants with high financial strain and low educational attainment had substantially lower odds of abstinence (OR = .29 [95% CI: .12, .68]) compared to participants with low financial strain and high educational attainment. Contrary to our hypothesis, race did not moderate this association.

Conclusion

Findings highlight the constraining role of high financial strain and low educational attainment, irrespective of race, on smoking abstinence among smokers actively engaged in a quit attempt.

Tobacco-related health inequalities among Black Americans: A narrative review of structural and historical influences

We conducted a narrative literature review to examine contributing factors of disparities in tobacco usage and outcomes affecting Black Americans. We propose potential solutions that can be used to effectively address these disparities. We identified historical factors; socioeconomic factors; targeted marketing/advertising; the influence of racism/discrimination; neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage; and mass incarceration. We call for more thorough examinations of these factors as a key element of tobacco-focused research and interventions to eliminate the disproportionate burdens faced by Black Americans. We advocate for greater emphases on the impacts of personal and structural racism on tobacco usage and outcomes affecting Black Americans.