Behavioral epidemiology of tobacco use among gay men

Institution:	University of California, San Francisco
Investigator(s):	Ronald Stall, Ph.D., M.P.H. Greg Greenwood, Ph.D.
Award Cycle:	1998 (Cycle 7)	Grant #: 7RT-0013	Award: $626,433
Subject Area:	Epidemiology
Award Type:	Research Project Awards

Abstracts

Initial Award Abstract

Increasing survey data has emerged to suggest that gay men smoke tobacco at proportions far greater than those found among men in general. However, most of these data have been generated through the use of sampling techniques that oversample gay bar patrons. These sampling strategies are thought to overestimate the actual rate of smoking found among gay men in general. We will generate data on smoking using an existing household-based probability sample of gay-identified men taken within America's four largest cities to meet each of the following specific aims:

We will: 1) identify the proportion of urban gay men who use tobacco 2) identify the psychosocial characteristics of urban gay male tobacco users 3) determine whether rates of tobacco use are different among urban gay men who reside in California than in other urban centers of the United States 4) identify the perceived need among gay male smokers for gay-specific treatment approaches to smoking cessation.

If it is true that gay men are smoking tobacco at rates in excess of those found among men in general, then gay men constitute a community that has yet to fully benefit from tobacco control efforts attempted among Californians in general. However, the ability to advocate for prevention and treatment programs specific to the gay male community is compromised by the lack of household based data on smoking. Furthermore, the ability to design effective community-based prevention and treatment programs for this community is also compromised by the lack of data on the psychosocial characteristics of gay male smokers. Thus, this proposed study meets important public health needs not only by documenting the extent of smoking among gay men through the use of representative sampling techniques but also by generating the data necessary to designing effective tobacco control efforts to lower rates of smoking among California's gay male community.

Publications

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco smoking among gay and bisexual men
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors:				ART
Yr: 1999	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco smoking among gay and bisexual men
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors:				ART
Yr: 1999	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: