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Smoking Topography in Korean American and White Men: Preliminary Findings

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Abstract

This is the first study of Korean Americans’ smoking behavior using a topography device. Korean American men smoke at higher rates than the general U.S. population. Korean American and White men were compared based on standard tobacco assessment and smoking topography measures. They smoked their preferred brand of cigarettes ad libitum with a portable smoking topography device for 24 h. Compared to White men (N = 26), Korean American men (N = 27) were more likely to smoke low nicotine-yield cigarettes (p < 0.001) and have lower Fagerstrom nicotine dependence scores (p = 0.04). Koreans smoked fewer cigarettes with the device (p = 0.01) than Whites. Controlling for the number of cigarettes smoked, Koreans smoked with higher average puff flows (p = 0.05), greater peak puff flows (p = 0.02), and shorter interpuff intervals (p < 0.001) than Whites. Puff counts, puff volumes, and puff durations did not differ between the two groups. This study offers preliminary insight into unique smoking patterns among Korean American men who are likely to smoke low nicotine-yield cigarettes. We found that Korean American men compensated their lower number and low nicotine-yield cigarettes by smoking with greater puff flows and shorter interpuff intervals than White men, which may suggest exposures to similar amounts of nicotine and harmful tobacco toxins by both groups. Clinicians will need to consider in identifying and treating smokers in a mutually aggressive manner, irrespective of cigarette type and number of cigarette smoked per day.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was supported from research funds of Chonbuk National University in 2010 (Dr. Chung), Department of Psychiatry of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (Drs. Kim and Ziedonis), and National Institute of Drug Abuse (5K23 DA021243-02, Dr. Kim).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Hospital, 20, Geonjiro Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, 561–712, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea

    Sangkeun Chung

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, San 2–20 Geumam-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, 561–756, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea

    Sangkeun Chung

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 365 Plantation Street, Biotech One, Suite 100, Worcester, MA, 01652, USA

    Sun S. Kim, David Kalman & Douglas M. Ziedonis

  4. Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Nisha Kini & Hua J. Fang

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  1. Sangkeun Chung
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Correspondence to Sun S. Kim.

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Chung, S., Kim, S.S., Kini, N. et al. Smoking Topography in Korean American and White Men: Preliminary Findings. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 860–866 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9921-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9921-6

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