Latino College Initiative: Tobacco use and attitudes among Hispanic students

Audience:  

     Tobacco control researchers and university officials involved in prevention / intervention

Key Points:

     Research has shown tobacco use among college students has increased in the last decade (DHHS: SAMHSA, 2009). Addressing this increase requires a better understanding of tobacco use among college students. Furthermore, much of what is known about college students’ tobacco use comes from studies relying on limited numbers of minority students. The presentation will address both of these issues, but focus on a largely overlooked and rapidly growing segment of the population: Hispanic students.
     This talk will discuss the need for, and describe the development, administration, and preliminary results of a web-based survey of Hispanic college students. The project involved a collaboration of the American Legacy Foundation, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and academics lead by the University of Texas at San Antonio. The survey was conducted at three universities representing multiple geographic regions, types of university, and Hispanic groups (Mexican-American, Cuban-American, Puerto Rican, and Dominican) to protect against school-specific effects and examine subgroup differences. Preliminary results, including several subgroup differences in tobacco use and  smoking-related cultural and attitudinal differences, will be discussed.  

Educational Experience:

     Lecture with discussion of example applications followed by question and answer.

Benefits:

     Attendees will have an opportunity to learn (1) the current state of knowledge regarding tobacco use and attitudes among Hispanic college students as well as relevant subgroup differences and (2) key issues to consider when using web-based research methodology.