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E-cigarettes were initially introduced as a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes, but marketing efforts may now be exceeding these claims by associating e-cigarettes with words related to healthy foods. These associations could mislead people to assume vaping is a healthy practice. Tweets from January to March 2017 were obtained from the Twitter Streaming Application Programming Interface (API) to assess content about vaping linked to healthy food words. Tweets were classified into one of nine categories along with their source (marketer vs. non-marketer). We content analyzed original English language public postings on Twitter that included vaping-related keywords and at least one of eight co-occurring healthy food-related labels (e.g., 'natural,' 'vitamin,' 'vegan,' and 'organic') (N = 1205). Chi-square analyses compared themes by message source. Findings suggest vaping is being marketed in ways that could paradoxically lead consumers to believe that e-cigarettes are health-enhancing. We found more tweets representing vaping as health-enhancing (9%) than referring to it as a smoking-cessation device (1%). The largest category of tweets referred to vaping as harmless (28%) and therefore compatible with a healthy lifestyle. Tweets presenting vaping as harmless or with a sensation theme were more likely to be authored by marketers than by non-marketers. Food and drug regulation needs to be more vigilant to prevent misleading advertising from e-cigarette marketers.

This study examined intragroup xenophobic attitudes, ethnic identity, and substance use (N = 905). Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we hypothesized that intragroup xenophobic attitudes among Latinx individuals would be associated with higher levels of substance use (SU) in early adulthood and that ethnic identity would increase the strength of that association. We found that in 10th grade, xenophobic attitudes were higher among respondents with lower ethnic identity, a longer family history in the United States, and less stress. In a longitudinal analysis, SU in emerging adulthood was highest among males, those reporting higher stress in 10th grade, and those with a longer family history in the United States. There was a significant interaction of ethnic identity and xenophobia on substance use (β = −.12, p <.001), indicating that substance use was higher among Latinxs with low ethnic identity who harbor xenophobic attitudes. Findings are explained using system justification theory because intragroup xenophobia appears to operate as a coping strategy that is maladaptive for Latinx individuals reporting low ethnic identity but somehow useful to those with high ethnic identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Discrimination has been associated with adverse psychological and physical health outcomes, but few studies have examined the effects of discrimination on Hispanic adolescents. This study assessed the relation of perceived discrimination with depressive symptoms and drug use. Covariates included immigrant generation status (GS). A second objective was to examine the potentially moderating effect of neighborhoods' ethnic composition as suggested by Mair et al. Design: Secondary data analyses of a longitudinal survey examined self-reports of Hispanic adolescents in 9th grade (the first year of high school) and 11th grade at seven high schools in Los Angeles. Results: (1) Perceiving discrimination in 9th grade significantly predicted depressive symptoms (β=0.23, p<0.01) and drug use (β=0.12, p<0.01) in 11th grade, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, acculturation, and GS in the USA. The third GS group reported significantly higher perceptions of discrimination compared to newer immigrants. (2) Neighborhoods' ethnic composition was included as a moderator of the association between perceived discrimination and the outcomes, but did not moderate the relation. Conclusion: Teaching Hispanic adolescents effective strategies for coping with discrimination, such as increasing their sense of belongingness in the American mainstream, may prove useful in preventing drug use and depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variables from the Health Tracking Household Survey 2007 were mapped to fit the “integrative model” of patient–doctor communication proposed by Ashton et al. (2003) to describe how communication patterns between patients and doctors influence patients' health outcomes. Patients' perceptions of their physician's attentiveness were examined to determine if perceived attentiveness mediated the relationship between physicians' recommendations (to diet and exercise) and health. Ethnic group differences related to these variables were explored. Overall, patient perception of physician attentiveness did significantly mediate the relationship between recommendations and patients' general health status. Hispanics and African Americans perceived their physicians as significantly less attentive to them, compared to Caucasians' perception of attentiveness. Across all ethnic groups, there was no evidence that doctors' recommendations to diet and exercise had an effect on patients' body mass index. The findings support previous research regarding the importance of physicians' communication skills and cultural sensitivity in promoting patient adherence to health recommendations (Tucker, Marsiske, Rice, Nielson, & Herman, 2011; Wang, Briskie, Hu, Majewski, & Inglehart, 2010). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Despite an increasingly ethnically and racially diverse population in the United States (U.S.), growing evidence indicates that minorities are underrepresented in national forest visitation. Many reasons for continuing underrepresentation have been examined, involving research reaching back multiple decades. In the current study, a random sample of residents (n = 1977) from four large metropolitan statistical areas in California was involved in a telephone survey about forest visitation. Analysis revealed a continuing pattern of inequities in lifetime visitation to a national forest, as well as recency of visitation. Constraints to national forest visitation show similarities among groups. Lack of time was the most often mentioned constraint, with resource-related constraints more frequently cited by minority respondents. In contrast to prior studies, a lack of information or concerns about discrimination were not cited by survey respondents, though the open-ended approach to top constraints may underpin some of this variation from prior research. The primary information source for outdoor recreation used most frequently and most trusted was the Internet, followed closely by social networks (family and friends). In the presentation of U.S. outdoor recreation information, natural resource management agencies, use groups, and opportunity providers would benefit from incorporating culturally relevant messaging and images to affirm the message of inclusion and welcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]