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Smoking Cessation Recruitment Among African American Youth: What Youth Think Will Help Them Attend

NCJ Number
225738
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 451-464
Author(s)
Ronald J. Peters Jr.; Charles Amos; Angela Meshack; George S. Yacoubian Jr.; E. James Essien
Date Published
December 2008
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study explored the factors that promote minorities to attend a smoking cessation program by smoking status.
Abstract
Findings showed that participants who were current smokers reported less importance to attend cessation programs based on their own beliefs that it is not right to smoke and their embarrassment about attendance. They reported greater importance to family and friends (boyfriend or girlfriend) by asking them to go and showing concern about their futures. Previous studies have shown that social reinforcement and parent involvement can produce significant positive behaviors among minority youth; however, minority youth attending urban alternative schools may find it more difficult to become empowered to attend smoking cessation programs because of social norms within their communities. Self-esteem and self-control are correlated with the approaches many minorities use to either predispose or protect youth involvement in drug use. To many African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans, smoking is a behavior that can be stopped with self-will and may view their youth who participate in cessation programs as weak because they were unable to stop on their own. Because of these social norms, many young smokers who would consider smoking cessation programs may be locked in silence and embarrassed and decline support due to social norms. Data were collected from 302 students attending an alternative high school who were surveyed through the Safer Decisions Program in Houston, TX between September 2006 and January 2007. Tables and references