Minority Health and Health Equity Archive

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21769

Welcome to the Minority Health and Health Equity Archive (MHHEA), an electronic archive for digital resource materials in the fields of minority health and health disparities research and policy. It is offered as a no-charge resource to the public, academic scholars and health science researchers interested in the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

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Author: search.filters.author.King, GarySubject: search.filters.subject.Research

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    Link between facultative melanin and tobacco use among African Americans.
    (2009) King, Gary; Yerger, Valerie B; Whembolua, Guy-Lucien; Bendel, Robert B; Kittles, Rick; Moolchan, Eric T
    Nicotine's affinity for melanin-containing tissues may result from its precursor function in melanin synthesis or the irreversible binding of melanin and nicotine. The objective of this study was to investigate a hypothesized association of tobacco use, dependence, and nicotine exposure with melanin pigmentation among African American smokers. A criterion-based sample was employed to collect data from a study of 147 adult African American current smokers. Carbon monoxide, saliva cotinine samples, and skin reflectance measures were obtained from each participant. Questionnaire data on demographic, sociological and behavioral questions related to smoking and skin color were gathered. The three dependent measures were the average number of cigarettes per day (CPD), Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score, and cotinine concentration. Analysis of variance, Pearson Correlations, and Multiple Linear Regression were conducted to analyze findings. The mean constitutive melanin reading was 56.3 and 66.5 for facultative melanin. Respondents on average smoked 19 CPD, had a mean FTND of 5.6, and a cotinine concentration of 435 ng/ml. Facultative melanin level was correlated with CPD and cotinine concentration in the bivariate analysis. The multiple linear regression results revealed that facultative melanin was significantly and positively related to CPD, the FTND, and cotinine. The results of this analysis support the hypothesis of a positive association between melanin levels and tobacco use, dependence, and exposure among African American smokers. This analysis may have important implications for research and interventions on tobacco dependence and disease outcomes. Further research on melanin and nicotine among African Americans as well as other population groups is warranted.
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    Eliminating Tobacco-Related Health Disparities: Directions for Future Research
    (2004) Fagan, Pebbles; King, Gary; Lawrence, Deirdre; Petrucci, Sallie Anne; Robinson, Robert G; Banks, David; Marable, Sharon; Grana, Rachel
    Certain groups in the United States remain at high risk and suffer disproportinately from tobacco-related illness and death despite progress made in reducing tobacco use. To address gaps in research on tobacco-related disparities and develop a comprehensive agenda aimed at reducing such disparities, representatives from funding agencies, community-based organizations, and academic institutions convened at the National Conference on Tobacco and Health Disparities in 2002. Conference participants reviewed the current research, identified existing gaps, and prioritized scientific recommendations. Panel discussions were organized to address research areas affecting underserved and understudied populations. We report major research recommendations will ultimately help guide the field in reducing and eliminating tobacco-related disparities in the United States.
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    African Americans' Attitudes Toward Cigarette Excise Taxes
    (2003) King, Gary; Mallett, Robyn K; Kozlowski, Lynn T; Bendel, Robert B
    Objectives. This study examined African Americans' opinions regarding cigarette excise taxes and other tobacco control issues. Methods. A stratified cluster sample of US congressional districts represented by African Americans was selected. African Americans from 10 districts were interviewed. Results. Forty-seven percent of respondents stated that taxes on tobacco products should be increased, whereas about 30% believed that they should be reduced. Almost 75% disagreed that raising taxes on tobacco products is unfair to African Americans, and 57.9% reported that they would not be opposed to increasing taxes on cigarettes even if low-income smokers would be hit the hardest. Conclusions. The present results indicate substantial support for cigarette excise taxes among African Americans.