Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116169

Swati Raychowdhury, MPH and David K. Lohrmann, PhD. Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, HPER 116, 1025 E. 7th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, 812-855-1237, sraychow@indiana.edu

After years of research, health professionals are finding a strong connection between the combined use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana and oral cancers. Young adults age 40 and younger are the fastest growing population of new oral cancer patients, and individuals as young as 21 are acquiring this deadly disease. This consequence has not changed college students' risk behaviors despite their awareness of acquiring oral cancer. Using formative research methodologies, unique insights can be applied toward the development of specifically focused messages and socially marketed strategies for prevention programs that may be effective in reducing oral cancer risk behaviors. Convenience sampling was used to survey 1,003 undergraduate students at one public university. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) sought to determine if the predictor variables (motivations, perceived risks, influential individuals, and factors that facilitate and discourage use) were able to predict group membership for user status of combined use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Multiple regression analysis (MR) determined the amount of variance in use behaviors accounted for by the knowledge, attitudes, peer perceptions, motivations, gender, age, and ethnicity of the participants. DFA found that user status could be categorized by the predictor variables. All discriminant function models tested were significant (p < .01) although variables could not discriminate user status of alcohol and smokeless tobacco use, and alcohol, smokeless tobacco, cigarettes and marijuana use. MR resulted in significant regression models across all combined use behaviors. It was significant that the more negative attitudes, the least likely participants are to use.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the variables that increase risk of oral cancer among college students
• Identify the types of discriminating factors and their respective influence on college student alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and nonuse behaviors
• Identify particular discriminators that can be most effectively targeted for oral cancer prevention program planning.

Keywords: College Students, Cancer Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.