Black youths who live in public housing communities are more likely to use tobacco than other black teens, a University of Missouri study has found. Mansoo Yu is an assistant professor in the Master of Public Health program and in the School of Social Work, which is part of MU's College of Human Environmental Sciences. He and his research team surveyed 518 urban black youths ranging in ages from 11 to 20 who lived in public housing in three U.S. cities.
The survey measured attitudes toward tobacco use, depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors. They found that those living in public housing were more likely to be fearful, live around crime and have poorer social relationships — all factors that contribute to smoking. The study concluded the black urban youth population is 2.3 times more likely to use tobacco than other black youths. That could lead to other problems, Yu said. "As previous research suggests, early use of tobacco increases individuals' chances of using more serious drugs later," he said in a statement.
"In addition, early drug use is related to other serious problems, such as delinquent behaviors and family and social problems." The findings show that tobacco-prevention programs should target young children in public housing communities, Yu said. "Early interventions are critical for these individuals since the likelihood of being exposed to risky behaviors dramatically increases as the children age," he said.
"In public housing communities, adolescents may have easier access to drugs and social activities where drugs are used." Yu's co-authors included researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Boston College and the University of South Carolina. The study, "Understanding tobacco use among urban African-American adolescents living in public housing communities: A test of problem behavior theory," was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
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