The Complex Relationship between Race, Gender, and Smoking Behavior Open Access
Greene, Kevin Mortimer (2012)
Published
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Smoking contributes to the three leading causes of death for blacks
in the United States: heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Researchers show that sociodemographic variables are associated
with the initiation and continuation of cigarette smoking. In this
dissertation I argue that factors that may induce or inhibit stress
for blacks-perceived discrimination, social support, and locus of
control- may differentially affect their smoking behavior. Thus, I
examine how each of these factors affect stress and smoking
behavior. In addition, I investigate whether gender influences how
black men and women perceive these factors and how distress may
mediate the relationship between these factors and smoking.
Predictions stem from theoretical perspectives as well as previous
empirical research. To examine these factors, I use data from the
National Survey of American Life (NSAL). This dataset includes a
nationally representative sample of black adults aged 18 who reside
in urban and rural areas throughout the United States. I test
models of the effects of stress-inducing factors, along with
controls, on depression and smoking behavior (likelihood of smoking
and amount of smoking). Results show that depression does not
mediate between stress-inducing factors and smoking behavior.
Perceived discrimination has a positive effect on depression for
black men and women, and is positively related to the likelihood of
smoking for men and negatively related for women. Other factors
also affected depression levels. For women, social support from
family reduced depression whereas for men, social support from
friends lowered depression levels. Yet the extent to which women
provided support to their families increased both the likelihood
and amount of their smoking. Feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness were positively related to depression for both black
men and women. Hopelessness also directly affected the amount that
black men smoked. For black women, depression did increase the
amount of smoking. I also found interactions between helplessness,
hopelessness, and social support for black men and women smokers.
Future research should examine how gender interacts with perceived
discrimination to understand its differential effects of these
factors, as well as how gender patterns for social support and
locus of control relate to coping strategies.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1.
Introduction................................................................................................1
Chapter 2.
Background of Race, Gender, and
Health..................................................9
Chapter 3.
Stress Process Model Process and
Predictions………………….…........33
Chapter 4.
Methodology............................................................................................65
Chapter 5.
Results……………..................................................................................78
Chapter 6.
Conclusion................................................................................................89
References...................................................................................................................…100
List of Tables
Table 1: Descriptive Statistics for Independent and Dependent
Variables for Smokers
and Non-Smokers in the National Survey of American Life
(Demographic
Variables)....................................................................................................122
Table 2: Descriptive Statistics for Independent and Dependent
Variables for Smokers in
the National Survey of American Life (Demographic
Variables)....................................................................................................125
Table 3: Logistic Regression Estimates for Smoking Behavior
(Yes/No) (All
Respondents and Gender-based Subgroups-Dichotomous Dependent
Variable)......................................................................................................128
Table 4: OLS Regression Estimates for Number of Cigarettes Smoked
per
Day……......................................................................................................131
Table 5: OLS Regression Estimates for Depression (Smokers and
Non-Smoker)...133
Table 6: OLS Regression Estimates for Depression (Smokers
Only)…….....…….135
Table 7: OLS and Logistic Regression Estimates for Depression on
Smoking Behavior
(Non-Smokers and Smokers) (All Respondents and Gender-based
Subgroups-
Dichotomous and Continuous Dependent
Variables)………........................................................................................137
Table 8: Logistic Regression Estimates for Smoking Behavior
(Yes/No) (All
Respondents and Gender-based Subgroups-Dichotomous Dependent
Variable)......................................................................................................139
Table 9: OLS Regression Estimates for Number of Cigarettes Smoked
per
Day……......................................................................................................142
List of Figures
Figure 1: Theoretical Model of Factors that Affect Smoking
Behavior....................................................................................................145
Figure 2a: Empirical Representation of Factors that Affect
Smoking
Behavior for Black Men Likelihood of
Smoking……………………….146
Figure 2b: Empirical Representation of Factors that Affect
Smoking
Behavior for Black Men Amount of
Smoking………………………..…147
Figure 3a: Empirical Representation of Factors that Affect
Smoking
Behavior for Black Men Likelihood of
Smoking……………………….148
Figure 3b: Empirical Representation of Factors that Affect
Smoking
Behavior for Black Men Amount of
Smoking………………………..…149
About this Dissertation
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