February e-Newsletter

Important Study Results: Culture and Tobacco among American Indian Adolescents

We hope that you were able to join us for our quarterly Technical Assistance call in December, which featured Claradina Soto (Navajo/Pueblo), a third-year doctoral student in the Health Behavior Research Program at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Ms. Soto has worked in tobacco control for over eight years and has a special interest in the role of culture and AI communities in tobacco use.

She presented the results of a survey intended to understand AI teenagers’ feelings about their culture, using sacred and commercial tobacco, and what influences their decisions about smoking. In 2008, 1,077 AI adolescents throughout northern and southern California (both urban and rural areas) completed the paper and pencil questionnaire.

The purpose of the study is to recognize the sacred role of tobacco in many AI cultures when developing tobacco prevention messages in order to help preserve traditions while preventing harmful effects of commercial tobacco use.

The study results included the following:

More than 50% of AI youth reported that they have ever tried or experimented with cigarettes.
26% of youth reported that they used cigarettes in the past month.
47% of youth were between 10-13 years old when they had their first puff on a cigarette.
Over 70% of youth said they have either somewhat or very easy access to cigarettes, compared to 40% having easy access to wild or traditional tobacco.
50% of the students reported having some knowledge of ceremonial tobacco use and 23% said they knew “nothing” about ceremonial tobacco.
85% of students reported that they have attended a pow-wow, and it was at pow-wows where tobacco was most commonly reported in a NON-traditional way.
Having friends and cousins that smoke are more likely to influence lifetime or past-month smoking, and having siblings who smoke are more likely to influence lifetime smoking. Additionally, with parents who smoke, AI youth have higher chances of smoking in the past month.
Secondhand smoke (in the same room or in a car) influenced past-month smoking.

Ideally, the study results will assist in creating culturally relevant programs to reduce smoking and smoking initiation. They also can be used by organizations for funding purposes.

For more information on this study, contact Ms. Soto, Project Coordinator, at 626-457-4286 or toya@usc.edu.