Ethnic-by-gender differences in cigarette smoking among Asian and Pacific Islanders.

Kaholokula, J.K., Braun, K., Kana‘iaupuni, S., Grandinetti, A., & Chang, H. (2006). Ethnic-by-gender differences in cigarette smoking among Asian and Pacific Islanders.  Nicotine & Tobacco Research 8:275-286. CONTACT kaholoku@hawaii.edu

This study examined the interaction between ethnicity and gender in predicting the likelihood of having ever smoked (vs. having never smoked) and being a current smoker (vs. being a former smoker) and in predicting years spent as a regular smoker.  These relationships were examined while controlling for the possible confounding effects of socio-demographics, psychosocial factors, and chronic medical conditions.  The analysis examines cross-sectional data from 1,158 people of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, and Caucasian ethnic ancestry, finding large ethnic and gender-ethnic differences in the prevalence of former and current smoking.  Multiple regression analyses showed significant gender by ethnicity interactions in predicting the likelihood of having ever smoked, but not in the likelihood of being a current smoker (versus having quit) or in the duration of years spent smoking.  The results of this study have important implications for smoking prevention programs among men and women in three distinct Asian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups.