Evidence for the Confluence of Cigarette Smoking, Other Substance Use, and Psychosocial and Mental H
Friday, August 14, 2020
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
LoSchiavo C, Acuna N,
Halkitis PN.
Evidence for the
Confluence of Cigarette Smoking, Other Substance Use, and Psychosocial and
Mental Health in a Sample of Urban Sexual Minority Young Adults: The P18 Cohort
Study.
[published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 28]. Ann Behav Med. 2020;kaaa052.
doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa052
Background: Sexual
minority men (SMM) and transgender women (TW) are more likely to smoke
cigarettes than heterosexual and cisgender peers, which may exacerbate existing
disparities in mental and psychosocial health and substance use.
Purpose: As
few existing studies have examined the confluence of these factors, we sought
to examine tobacco use in a diverse sample of SMM and TW and describe its
relationship with other substance use and health.
Methods: Data
were drawn from a study of syndemic conditions among SMM and TW, which included
measures assessing tobacco use, substance use, and mental, psychosocial, and
general health.
Results: A
majority of the racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample (n =
665) reported ever smoking a cigarette, and more than half of them were current
smokers. Current smoking was associated with more frequent recent substance use
and poorer mental, psychosocial, and general health. In multivariable analyses,
current smoking was predicted by more frequent substance use and more severe
anxiety, when adjusting for demographic, substance use, and health factors.
Conclusions: A
syndemic approach to health conditions such as substance use, mental health,
and psychosocial burden dictates a framework of interrelation and mutual
exacerbation. In doing so, we found that current cigarette use was associated
with more frequent alcohol and marijuana use and more severe anxiety,
suggesting a confluence of cigarette smoking, other substance use, and mental
health burden. We recommend a holistic approach to treating tobacco use in
sexual and gender minority populations that addresses both substance use and
the myriad psychosocial burdens that sexual and gender minority communities
experience.
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