Gender differences in a smoking cue-provoked craving assessment among African Americans smokers in the DC Metropolitan area

Studies suggest that compared with men, female smokers tend to be less dependent on nicotine and more dependent on the environmental cues associated with smoking, such as the sight and smell of tobacco, or the social aspects involved with the smoking behavior (Hatsukami, Skoog, Allen, Bliss, 1995; Perkins, 1996).Gender is an important factor to consider when evaluating smoking behaviors and cue-induced craving (Tong, Bovberg, & Erblich, 2007). Studies have been conducted to examine gender differences in cue induced cravings and smoke behaviors; however these variables have not been explained in African American smokers. Therefore, this study aims to fill the gap in understanding gender differences in provoked smoking cues based on self reported craving assessments. Data for this study was collected from a sample of African American smokers (n=206) in the DC metropolitan area who participated in a randomized clinical trial. For successful completion of the trial, participants were required to abstain from smoking overnight before their visit the next morning. Participants were exposed to a smoking cue-provoked craving environment which was monitored for compliance via closed-circuit video and audio equipment. Participants were asked to assess their craving pre-cue and post-cue on a scale of 0 to 100. Results will be analyzed using T-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine any significant differences between genders. Chi-squared tests will be conducted to determine whether or not gender and cue-provoked cravings are independent of one another. Descriptive statistics will be conducted to characterize the demographics of the population.