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Challenging Assumptions About Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents

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Abstract

Background

Previous research indicates that differences in cigarette smoking exist among those of different race/ethnicity and varying levels of socioeconomic status. However, most research has examined the influence of these factors separately on cigarette smoking despite their observed covariation. To examine the interaction of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on adolescent tobacco use and behaviors, this study tests whether or not the social gradient holds for smoking patterns and perceptions of smoking among African American, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian, Hispanic, and White adolescents.

Methods

Using data from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the sample included African American/Black (Black), American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian, Hispanic, and White adolescents (N = 12,474), ages 12–17 years old. Measures included race/ethnicity, annual household income, age, gender, cigarette smoking, perceptions of peer use, parental attitudes, and health risks of smoking; logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Findings indicated significant interactions between high income and Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity for having ever smoked a cigarette indicating a difference in comparison to high-income White adolescents (p’s < 0.05). We also found that the interaction between high income and AIAN race/ethnicity for disapproval of peers smoking was significant compared to White adolescents at the same income levels (p < 0.05). No differences were found for smoking health risk perceptions.

Conclusions

The relationship between race/ethnicity, income, and smoking may be more complex than previously thought with these results having important preventative implications for identification of adolescents who may be most at risk for tobacco use.

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Data Availability

The data are publicly available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (https://www.datafiles.samhsa.gov/study-dataset/national-survey-drug-use-and-health-2018-nsduh-2018-ds0001-nid18758).

Funding

This research was supported by the California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (CA TRDRP) Grant #28PC-0044. CA TRDRP had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, University of California, Merced, CA, USA

    Anna E. Epperson & Anna V. Song

  2. Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, University of California, Merced, CA, USA

    Anna E. Epperson, Mariaelena Gonzalez & Anna V. Song

  3. Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, University of California, Merced, CA, USA

    Mariaelena Gonzalez

  4. Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA

    Małgorzata Skorek

Authors
  1. Anna E. Epperson
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  2. Mariaelena Gonzalez
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  3. Małgorzata Skorek
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  4. Anna V. Song
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Contributions

AE conducted all analyses, interpreted results, and drafted the manuscript. AS conceptualized and designed analyses, interpreted results, and revised the manuscript. MS and MG conceptualized analyses and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna E. Epperson.

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Epperson, A.E., Gonzalez, M., Skorek, M. et al. Challenging Assumptions About Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 9, 436–443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-00974-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-00974-0

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