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Purpose To determine potential unique factors influencing cigarette and e-cigarette use in US Latino youth.Approach We conducted a qualitative study assessing cigarette and e-cigarette perceptions and experiences, including experiences with/perceptions of the products, cultural influences and influences of friends and family.Setting Four online discussion boards, conducted in October 2020.Participants 92 Latino youth aged 15-21 years living in the US.Method Data from the discussion groups were coded and analyzed by three trained coders using a thematic analysis approach.Results Stress relief emerged as the dominant theme connected with both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Apart from stress, perceptions of and experiences with the products differed. E-cigarettes were commonly viewed as trendy and cool and participants often reported using them due to curiosity and popularity. Participants commonly compared e-cigarettes to cigarettes, noting benefits of e-cigarettes. Participants also noted more negative short and long-term health effects of cigarette use, and discussed generational differences between the two products.Conclusion Findings from this study help address a dearth of research examining tobacco use among diverse groups of Latino youth. Findings indicate that despite differences in country of heritage, Latino youth are united by similar opinions about cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Additionally, they share cultural values and experiences which could be leveraged for tobacco control communications that cut across populations of Latino youth.

BackgroundWe assessed whether receipt of coupons—via direct mail or e-mail—was prospectively related to trajectories of smoking behaviours.MethodsData were from a cohort of US adults (n=26 447) who participated in wave 1 (2013–2014) and wave 2 (2014–2015) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Participants reported receipt of tobacco direct mail/email coupons in the past 6 months in wave 1 and their smoking status in both waves. Weighted multiple logistic regressions were used to examine demographic correlates of receiving tobacco direct mail/email coupons at wave 1 and to examine the prospective effect of receiving tobacco coupons on trajectories of smoking behaviours.FindingsAt wave 1, 10.7% of never smokers, 13.9% of experimental smokers, 37.1% of current smokers and 16.5% of former smokers reported receiving tobacco direct mail/email coupons. Lower education and higher poverty adults and non-Hispanic white current smokers were more likely to have received these coupons (p<0.05). Receiving tobacco direct mail/email coupons at wave 1 was associated with increased odds of smoking initiation among never smokers (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.28, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.83), becoming established smokers among experimenters (AOR=1.62, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.04), becoming daily smokers among non-daily smokers (AOR=1.56, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.99) and smoking relapse among former smokers between waves (AOR=1.91, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.65). Receiving these coupons at wave 1 was associated with reduced odds of smoking cessation ≥6 months among current smokers (AOR=0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.88).ConclusionsTobacco direct mail/email coupons encourage and sustain smoking and disproportionately affect lower socioeconomic populations.

Uptake and completion of the HPV vaccine among Latina girls has been relatively low, despite mothers’ generally positive attitudes toward the vaccine. Focus groups were used for an in-depth, qualitative investigation of Mexican-American mothers’ beliefs about and perceived barriers regarding the HPV vaccine and their recommendations for vaccine promotion. Overall, women felt capable and motivated to take care of their daughters’ health, and they noted the family-centered nature of health decisions and made an association between HPV vaccination and a girl's first menses. Findings from this study can be used to support woman-centered and culturally specific HPV vaccine promotion efforts.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate barriers in communication and disease understanding among office staff and interpreters when communicating with Spanish-speaking women with pelvic floor disorders.

In recent years, Philip Morris International (PMI) launched a global rebranding strategy to expand the reach of Marlboro. Using a mixed-methods design, this study evaluated the appeal and influence of Marlboro advertising among Filipino youth. Six hundred and twenty-three adolescents aged 13–17 years old in Metro Manila participated in a survey, including three advertising conditions: two for Marlboro and one for Mighty, a local cigarette brand. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-tests evaluated differences between the three conditions on participants’ attitudes toward advertisements [measured as identification, likeability, and perceived effectiveness (PE)]. Compared to Mighty, never-smokers rated Marlboro advertisements as more identifiable and likeable. Comparing by smoking status (never vs. ever), multivariable logistic regression assessed the influence of these attitudes on intention to smoke. Increased likeability was associated with greater intention to smoke among never-smokers, and greater PE increased odds of intention to smoke for both never- and ever-smokers. Additionally, six focus group discussions (FGD) explored responses to campaign messaging. Themes were compared within and across groups. Marlboro was also appealing to FGD participants, who described the ads as attractive to youth and promoting “adventure” and “freedom”, whereas the Mighty brand was seen as being for adults and current smokers. Our findings illustrate that Marlboro advertisements are distinctly appealing to youth. Marlboro rhetoric – where consumers are urged to “decide” to “Be Marlboro” – was particularly powerful. These findings support the need for addressing gaps in policies regulating the marketing and promotion of tobacco in the Philippines.