Gender Differences in the Association Between Perceived Discrimination and Adolescent Smoking
- 1 March 2010
- journal article
- Published by American Public Health Association in American Journal of Public Health
- Vol. 100 (3), 510-516
- https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2009.169771
Abstract
We examined associations between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, gender, and cigarette smoking among adolescents. We examined data on Black and Latino adolescents aged 12 to 19 years who participated in the Moving to Opportunity study (N = 2561). Perceived discrimination was assessed using survey items asking about unfair treatment because of race/ethnicity in the prior 6 months. We used logistic regression to investigate associations between discrimination and smoking, stratified by gender and controlling for covariates. One fourth of adolescents reported that discrimination had occurred in at least 1 location. Discrimination was associated with increased odds of smoking among boys (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 3.0) and decreased odds among girls (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.3, 1.1). Discrimination at school or work contributed to associations for girls (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.1, 0.9), and discrimination at shops (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.1, 3.8) and by police (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2, 3.4) contributed to associations for boys. Associations between discrimination and smoking differ by gender. Girls' decreased smoking in higher-discrimination settings may be a result of protective factors associated with where they spend time. Boys' increased smoking in higher-discrimination settings may reflect increased stress from gender-specific targeting by police and businesses.Keywords
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- Self-reported Racial Discrimination and Substance Use in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Adults StudyAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2007
- A Nationwide Study of Discrimination and Chronic Health Conditions Among Asian AmericansAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2007
- Personal, interpersonal, and cultural predictors of stages of cigarette smoking among adolescents in Johannesburg, South AfricaTobacco Control, 2006
- A systematic review of empirical research on self-reported racism and healthInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 2006
- Conceptualizing and Measuring Ethnic Discrimination in Health ResearchJournal of Behavioral Medicine, 2006
- Are pregnant adolescents stigmatized by pregnancy?Journal of Adolescent Health, 2005
- Racism as a stressor for African Americans: A biopsychosocial model.American Psychologist, 1999
- Racism as a stressor for African Americans: A biopsychosocial model.American Psychologist, 1999
- Early School Dropout: Configurations and DeterminantsChild Development, 1989
- Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states.Psychological Bulletin, 1984