The Co-occurrence of Daily Smoking, Binge Drinking and IPV Among Latino Expectant Fathers.

Many Latino men have multiple risk factors that predispose them to chronic disease morbidity and mortality, yet few have examined patterns in this population. We describe the co-occurrence of daily smoking, binge drinking, and intimate partner violence (IPV) behaviors among Latino expectant fathers and examine factors associated with the co-occurrence of these behaviors. We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from the Parejas Trial, a randomized controlled trial testing a culturally tailored couples-based smoking cessation intervention. We used Kruskal-Wallis test statistics to explore the relationship of the co-occurring behavior and demographic and cultural factors. All participants smoked as was a requirement of being in the trial, but only 39% smoked daily. Forty three percent of the participants engaged in one behavior, 32% engaged in two behaviors, and 5% engaged in three behaviors, with binge drinking being the most common co-occurring behavior. In the bivariate analysis, higher stress (p = 0.01) and having more children (p = 0.003) were found to be positively significantly associated with the number of behaviors. Helping Latino expectant fathers manage with their stress may serve as tailoring points for future interventions to reduce risk behaviors.

Relationships among spousal communication, self-efficacy, and motivation among expectant Latino fathers who smoke.

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking is a prevalent problem among Latinos, yet little is known about what factors motivate them to quit smoking or make them feel more confident that they can. Given cultural emphases on familial bonds among Latinos (e.g., familismo), it is possible that communication processes among Latino spouses play an important role. The present study tested a mechanistic model in which perceived spousal constructive communication patterns predicted changes in level of motivation for smoking cessation through changes in self-efficacy among Latino expectant fathers. METHODS: Latino males (n = 173) and their pregnant partners participated in a couple-based intervention targeting males' smoking. Couples completed self-report measures of constructive communication, self-efficacy (male partners only), and motivation to quit (male partners only) at 4 time points throughout the intervention. RESULTS: Higher levels of perceived constructive communication among Latino male partners predicted subsequent increases in male partners' self-efficacy and, to a lesser degree, motivation to quit smoking; however, self-efficacy did not mediate associations between constructive communication and motivation to quit smoking. Furthermore, positive relationships with communication were only significant at measurements taken after completion of the intervention. Female partners' level of perceived constructive communication did not predict male partners' outcomes. CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary evidence to support the utility of couple-based interventions for Latino men who smoke. Findings also suggest that perceptions of communication processes among Latino partners (particularly male partners) may be an important target for interventions aimed at increasing desire and perceived ability to quit smoking among Latino men. (PsycINFO Database Record

Is pregnancy a teachable moment for smoking cessation among US Latino expectant fathers? A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy may be a time when US Latino expectant fathers consider quitting smoking. A 'teachable moment' is theorized to increase motivation to change a behavior through increased risk perceptions, emotional responses, and changes in self-image. DESIGN: We recruited 30 Spanish-speaking expectant fathers through their pregnant partners. We assessed expectant fathers' diet, exercise, and smoking and teachable moment constructs (risk perceptions, emotional responses, and self-image).We also tested correlations between teachable moment constructs and motivation to change behaviors. RESULTS: Latino expectant fathers had high-risk perceptions that their smoking harmed the pregnancy (M=4.4, SD=0.5 on five-point scale) and strong emotional responses about their smoking during pregnancy (M=3.9, SD=1.1). They also felt it was their role to make the pregnancy healthy (M=4.4, SD=0.8). They felt less strongly that their diet and exercise affected the pregnancy. The teachable moment constructs for smoking were strongly correlated with motivation to quit smoking; the same was not true for diet and exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Latino expectant fathers seem aware that their smoking could harm the pregnancy but seem less concerned about the effect of their diet and exercise on the pregnancy. Pregnancy may be a time to help Latino expectant fathers quit smoking.