Smoking Rates Higher Among Minority Boys Who Face Discrimination

Male adolescent members of minority groups who feel that they are victims of discrimination are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors like smoking, according to research by Sarah Wiehe of the Indiana University School of Medicine.

HealthDay News reported Jan. 22 that Weihe and colleagues studied black and Hispanic youth ages 12 to 19 living in low-income urban households. They found that smoking rates were higher among males who reported being discriminated against within the past six months.

However, perceived discrimination did not have any impact on smoking rates among younger girls (ages 12-15) and seemed to be related to lower smoking rates among girls ages 16-19.

“Boys and girls may experience discrimination differently due to where they spend their time and that may account for the differences in whether discrimination was associated with smoking,” said Wiehe.

The study appears online in the American Journal of Public Health.