Julia C Harris1,2, Ethan H Mereish3, Monica L Faulkner1, Shervin Assari4, Kelvin Choi5, Lorenzo Leggio1,6,7,8,9,10, Mehdi Farokhnia1,6,11. 1. Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Translational Addiction Medicine Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore and Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. 2. Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, American University, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA. 3. Department of Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, American University, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA. 4. Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA. 5. Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. 6. Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. 7. Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. 8. Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA. 9. Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. 10. Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA. 11. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Abstract
AIMS: Important differences have been shown in alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking prevalence, patterns and consequences among individuals from different racial backgrounds. Alcohol and nicotine are often co-used, and the association between drinking and smoking may differ between racial groups-a question explored in the present study. METHODS: Data from the NIAAA natural history and screening protocols were utilized; non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals were included in the analyses [N = 1692; 65.2% male; 58.3% met criteria for current alcohol use disorder (AUD); 37.8% were current cigarette smokers]. Bivariate associations between assessments related to alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking were examined, and the strength and direction of these associations were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The sample included 796 Black and 896 White individuals. Black participants had higher frequency (P < 0.0001) and severity (P = 0.007) of AUD, as well as higher frequency (P < 0.0001) of cigarette smoking. Bivariate analyses showed that the expected positive associations between alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking, observed among White individuals, were blunted or absent among Black individuals [age at first cigarette-AUD identification test (AUDIT) score: F(1, 292) = 7.60, P = 0.006; cigarette pack years-AUDIT score: F(1, 1111) = 10.97, P = 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Some decoupling in the association between alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking was found among Black compared to White individuals. The sample was drawn from a specific population enrolled in alcohol research protocols, which is a limitation of the present study. These preliminary findings highlight the importance of considering racial/ethnic background in preventive and therapeutic strategies for comorbid alcohol and nicotine use. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society 2021.
AIMS: Important differences have been shown in alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking prevalence, patterns and consequences among individuals from different racial backgrounds. Alcohol and nicotine are often co-used, and the association between drinking and smoking may differ between racial groups-a question explored in the present study. METHODS: Data from the NIAAA natural history and screening protocols were utilized; non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals were included in the analyses [N = 1692; 65.2% male; 58.3% met criteria for current alcohol use disorder (AUD); 37.8% were current cigarette smokers]. Bivariate associations between assessments related to alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking were examined, and the strength and direction of these associations were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The sample included 796 Black and 896 White individuals. Black participants had higher frequency (P < 0.0001) and severity (P = 0.007) of AUD, as well as higher frequency (P < 0.0001) of cigarette smoking. Bivariate analyses showed that the expected positive associations between alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking, observed among White individuals, were blunted or absent among Black individuals [age at first cigarette-AUD identification test (AUDIT) score: F(1, 292) = 7.60, P = 0.006; cigarette pack years-AUDIT score: F(1, 1111) = 10.97, P = 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Some decoupling in the association between alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking was found among Black compared to White individuals. The sample was drawn from a specific population enrolled in alcohol research protocols, which is a limitation of the present study. These preliminary findings highlight the importance of considering racial/ethnic background in preventive and therapeutic strategies for comorbid alcohol and nicotine use. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society 2021.
Authors: John Oliver L DeLancey; Michael J Thun; Ahmedin Jemal; Elizabeth M Ward Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2008-11 Impact factor: 4.254