Disparities in traditional and alternative tobacco product use across sexual orientation groups of young adult men and women in the US.

Background: Despite literature documenting disparities in tobacco use among sexual minority young adults, research is just emerging regarding alternative tobacco product (ATP) use among specific sexual minority men versus women. The current study examined associations between sexual orientation and traditional and ATP use among young adult men and women. Methods: We analyzed survey data (September-December 2018) from 2,809 young adults (ages 18-34) recruited via social media. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the binary outcomes of any past 30-day use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and any tobacco product (logistic regression), and the continuous outcome of number of categories of tobacco products used (linear regression), in relation to sexual orientation (bisexual, gay/lesbian, heterosexual) among men versus women, controlling for age and race/ethnicity. Results: In this sample (Mage = 24.60, SD = 4.73; 56.0% women, 71.5% White, 5.4% Black, 12.6% Asian, 11.5% Hispanic), 9.3% of participants identified as gay/lesbian (13.1% of men, 6.2% of women) and 17.6% bisexual (8.3% of men, 25.0% of women). Gay men were less likely to use e-cigarettes, cigars, and any tobacco product, and used fewer products relative to heterosexual men. Bisexual women were more likely to use each tobacco product and any tobacco product, and used more categories of products relative to heterosexual women. Conclusions: Specific tobacco use disparities differ with respect to type of product, gender, and sexual orientation, underscoring the need to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these differences (e.g., marketing, social influences) and developing interventions to address them.

Smoking and cessation-related attitudes among men who have sex with men in the country of Georgia.

Among men who have sex with men (MSM) in low- or middle-income countries, smoking and related factors have been understudied. We examined correlates of smoking status, level, and importance and confidence regarding quitting among 608 MSM in the country of Georgia recruited in June-September, 2016 (493 without HIV via peer referral in 3 Georgian cities; 115 with HIV via the National AIDS Center). Median age was 26 years, 78.6% reported current (past 30-day) alcohol use, and 22.4% reported past-year illicit drug use. Overall, 73.8% reported current smoking; of these, 87.1% smoked daily, mean cigarettes per day (cpd) was 19.8, 64.6% smoked ≤30 min of waking, and mean quitting importance and confidence were 6.8 and 6.4 (0 = not at all to 10 = extremely), respectively. Multivariable analyses indicated that current smoking correlated with past-month alcohol and past-year illicit drug use (p's < .001). Among smokers, cpd correlated with being older and smoking within 30 min of waking; greater quitting importance (≥7) correlated with higher education and no illicit substance use; and greater quitting confidence (≥7) was associated with fewer cpd, smoking ≤30 min of waking, and regional versus capital city residence. Given these findings, addressing tobacco and other substance use among MSM in Georgia is critical.

Comorbidities in a sample of adults with HIV in Puerto Rico: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Puerto Rico is among the areas with the highest estimated rates of people living with HIV in the United States. Despite the epidemiologic data available, there is limited real-world information that can help understand the comorbidities of people with HIV. In this study, we describe common comorbidities among adults with HIV attending treatment clinics in Puerto Rico. METHODS: An exploratory, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at five HIV clinics in Puerto Rico. A random sample of medical records was reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient demographics, morbidity, and clinical characteristics. Multivariate analyses were conducted to explore comorbidities by age and sex. RESULTS: A total of 250 (179 men; 71 women) medical records were reviewed. Participants' mean age was 47.9 years and on average they had been living with HIV for 9 years. Most (97.6%) had at least one comorbidity. The most common comorbidities were dyslipidemia and hypertension. Men were more likely to have been diagnosed with alcohol misuse while women were more likely to have been diagnosed with obesity, human papillomavirus (HPV), hypothyroidism, and osteoporosis. Participants younger than 50 years of age were more likely to have history of alcohol misuse while older individuals (50 years and old) were more likely to have been diagnosed with dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Adjusting by sex and age, women were more likely to have been diagnosed with obesity and depression and those older than 50 years were more likely to have had a diagnosis of dyslipidemia, hypertension, HPV, and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the few studies assessing comorbidities among adults with HIV in Puerto Rico, among Latino/Hispanics within the United States, and Latin America. Consistent with other studies, cardiovascular diseases are common among adults with HIV in Puerto Rico. Findings support the need for awareness and real-world evidence about comorbidities among people with HIV when implementing screenings and prescribing drugs.