Examining Tobacco Treatment Perceptions and Barriers Among Black vs. non-Black Adults Attending Lung

Bold KW, Cannon S, Ford BB, Neveu S, Sather P, Toll BA, Fucito LM.
Examining Tobacco Treatment Perceptions and Barriers Among Black vs. non-Black Adults Attending Lung Cancer Screening.
Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2022 Jan 21:canprevres.CAPR-21-0398-A.2021. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-21-0398. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35063942.

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual lung cancer screening for patients at high risk based on age and smoking history. Understanding the characteristics of patients attending lung cancer screening, including potential barriers to quitting smoking, may inform ways to engage these high-risk patients in tobacco treatment and address health disparities. Patients attending lung cancer screening who currently smoke cigarettes completed a survey at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven (N=74) and the Medical University of South Carolina (N=73) at the time of their appointment. The survey assessed demographics, smoking history, and perceptions and concerns about quitting smoking. Patients were 55-76 years old (M=63.3, SD=5.3), N=64 (43.5%) female, and N=31 (21.1%) non-Hispanic Black. Patients smoked 16.3 cigarettes per day on average (SD=9.2) and rated interest in quitting smoking in the next month as moderate (M=5.6, SD=3.1, measured from 0="very definitely no" to 10="very definitely yes"). The most frequently endorsed concerns about quitting smoking were missing smoking (70.7%), worry about having strong urges to smoke (63.9%), and concerns about withdrawal symptoms (59.9%). Compared to other race/ethnicities, Black patients were less likely to report concerns about withdrawal symptoms and more likely to report smoking less now and perceiving no need to quit. Findings identified specific barriers for tobacco treatment and differences by race/ethnicity among patients attending lung cancer screening, including concerns about withdrawal symptoms and perceived need to quit. Identifying ways to promote tobacco treatment is important for reducing morbidity and mortality among this high-risk population.