Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Product Use Among South Asian Americans and Health: The Role of Gender and Acculturation

Background: The use of tobacco products among South Asians is relatively high. Moreover, there is a high prevalence of oral smokeless tobacco products (SLT), particularly products containing Dypsis Lutescens plant, a central nervous system stimulant designated as a carcinogen. The use of SLT products among South Asians Americans is embedded within practices that can be influenced by gender and acculturation. Few studies have focused on the co-use of cigarettes and SLT products among South Asian Americans. Purpose: This study examined the co-use of cigarettes and SLT products among South Asian American adults and investigated the associations between distinct user groupings on variables such as gender, acculturation, physical health, marital status, and nicotine dependence. Methods: Data from a sample of 276 South Asian Americans were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression (MLR) which compared four cigarette and SLT user status groups: (1) Non-Users; (2) Exclusive SLT Users; (3) Exclusive Cigarette Users; and (4) Dual Users. Results: The overall model was significant compared to the null model [χ2 (15) = 107.1, p < 0.001]. With the Non-Users as the reference category in the MLR model, acculturation, physical health, and marital status were significant predictors of cigarette & SLT user status group membership with unique distinctions based on use and co-use. There were also statistically significant differences in nicotine dependence scores between the Exclusive Cigarette Users and the Dual Users (F(1,144) = [5.28], p = 0.023). The Exclusive Cigarette Users demonstrated significantly higher mean nicotine dependence score (M = 2.2, SD = 0.84) relative to the mean score (M = 1.9, SD = 0.93) among the Dual Users. Conclusions: The use of exclusive SLT products, as well as the dual use of cigarettes and SLT products, was found to be higher in this study compared to previous studies of South Asian Americans and oral tobacco product use in the general US population. These findings support the need for greater assessment of the use of such products in both the context of clinical practice and future research with South Asian Americans.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counseling Psychology

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Essa, Saman

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• de Dios, Marcel A

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Smith, Nathan
• Cano, Miguel A
• Arbona, Consuelo

• Psychology
• Health education

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19863

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19863