142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Current tobacco product use among sexual minorities in the United States: Smokeless tobacco, Snus, cigar, hookah, and pipe

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Youn Ok Lee, PhD , Public Health Policy Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Amie Goodin, MPP , Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Amanda Fallin, PhD, RN , Center for Tobacco Policy Research and Education, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Sexual minorities (lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals) smoke cigarettes at higher rates than heterosexuals. However, little is known about their use of other tobacco products (OTP) such as smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip), Snus, cigars (cigars, cigarillos, little cigars), hookah, and pipe. Use of the combustible OTP and multiple product use may pose added health risks for this vulnerable population.

Methods: Data were obtained from the CDC’s 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey (N=118,581), a national dual-frame survey of U.S. adults aged 18 or over. We estimate the prevalence of current OTP use among male and female self-identified sexual minorities.

Results: Sexual minority men currently use smokeless tobacco significantly less than heterosexual men (2.1% vs. 5.9%, p<.01) and use hookah significantly more (2.4% vs. 0.9%, p<.01). Sexual minority women currently use OTP at significantly higher rates than heterosexual women: smokeless tobacco (1.5% vs. 0.3%, p<.01), snus (1.3% vs. 0.2%, p<.01),  cigars (8.2% vs. 1.6%, p<.01),  hookah (2.8% vs. 0.3%, p<.01),  and pipes (1.1% vs. 0.2%, p<.01). Sexual minority women were also significantly more likely to currently use multiple tobacco products than heterosexual women (4.0% vs. 0.6%, p<.01).

Discussion: Sexual minority men currently use OTP at similar rates to heterosexual men, with the exception of hookah. Sexual minority women currently use OTP at higher rates than heterosexual women, especially cigars. Sexual minority women are at particular risk for cigar and multiple tobacco product use. Tailored interventions for OTP use may be needed for this group.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify the national prevalence rates of other tobacco product use (smokeless tobacco, Snus, cigar, hookah, and pipe) among sexual minority men and women in the U.S. Compare the rates of current other tobacco product use and current multiple product use among sexual minority men and women.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Use, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a PhD and Public Health Research Analyst for RTI International in Public Health Policy Research. I have published peer reviewed studies on use of cigarettes and other tobacco products and on interventions addressing tobacco-related health disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3212.0: Tobacco by Any Other Name...: Risks and Implications of Other Tobacco Products