Weight concerns and smoking in Black and White female smokers.

We examined whether the weight concerns of Blacks and Whites who enroll in smoking-cessation treatment differed from women who declined treatment. Black (n=100) and White (n=100) female smokers completed four measures of weight concern. Whites reported more general weight concern and smoking-specific weight concern than Blacks did. Treatment enrollers reported more general and smoking-specific weight concerns than decliners did. After controlling for BMI, SES, and number of cigarettes, ethnicity accounted for significant variance in general and smoking-specific weight concerns. Overall, Blacks reported less weight concerns than the Whites did, but when Blacks enrolled in treatment, these differences were less apparent.

Smoking as subculture? Influence on Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women's attitudes toward smoking and obesity.

Cultural stereotypes might help explain why smoking is less prevalent among Hispanic than non-Hispanic White women, whereas obesity is more prevalent. Hispanic (n = 130) and non-Hispanic White (n = 114) women rated their thoughts and feelings regarding a female smoker and an overweight woman. Ethnicity did not influence evaluations, but attitudes toward smokers were more positive among more acculturated Hispanic women, F(1, 66) = 9.9, p < .01. Less acculturated women evaluated an overweight woman more positively than a smoker, F(1, 28) = 5.65, p < .05; more acculturated women did the opposite, F( 1, 36) = 5.92, p < .05. Smokers evaluated smokers more positively than overweight women, F(1, 86) = 40.8, p < .01; nonsmokers did the opposite, F(l, 138) = 7.7, p < .01. Personal body weight did not influence evaluations. Acculturation and smoking status appear to have a greater influence than ethnicity or weight status on women's attitudes toward smoking and weight.