Gundersen, Daniel Alexander. Examining heterogeneity in the Latino population’s smoking cessation behaviors. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3SB44V2
DescriptionObjectives: (1) Examine differences by two proxy measures of acculturation – English Language Proficiency (ELP) and immigrant generation - for making a quit attempt in the past 12 months, receiving advice to stop smoking from a health care provider, and using effective cessation aids during a quit attempt; (2) examine whether gender moderates acculturation for these behaviors; (3) examine if tobacco control context moderates acculturation for quit attempts or use of cessation aids; (4) examine if acculturation explains the disparity relative to non-Latino whites for advice to quit and use of cessation aids. Methods: The 2003 and 2006/07 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population survey were merged with state level per capita cumulative tobacco control expenditures. Separate logistic regressions for ELP and immigrant generation were fit for each outcome. Interaction terms for gender and acculturation, and cumulative per capita tobacco control expenditures and acculturation were added to assess their respective moderating effects. Models contrasting Latinos and non-Latino whites with and without acculturation as controls were fit to examine if acculturation explains known disparities. Results: Latinos with poor ELP were more likely than those with good ELP, and respondents of more recent immigrant generation were more likely to make a quit attempt. There were some suggestive findings that these associations were larger in magnitude among females. No significant differences were found for advice to stop smoking. Second generation immigrants were more likely than third generation immigrants to use a behavioral aid, and there were suggestive findings that they were less likely to use pharmacological aids. There were mixed findings of whether tobacco control expenditures moderates the association between acculturation and quit attempt or use of cessation aids. Acculturation does not explain the Latino disparity for advice to quit and use of cessation aids. Conclusion: Future tobacco control studies should disaggregate Latinos by acculturation whenever possible, and should consider gender as a moderating factor. Tobacco control acculturation research should continue to include contextual variables, including tobacco control context. Studies examining the source of Latino disparity in advice to quit and use of cessation aids should target variables other than acculturations.