Nonjudging facet of mindfulness predicts enhanced smoking cessation in Hispanics.

Although most smokers express interest in quitting, actual quit rates are low. Identifying strategies to enhance smoking cessation is critical, particularly among underserved populations, including Hispanics, for whom many of the leading causes of death are related to smoking. Mindfulness (purposeful, nonjudgmental attention to the present moment) has been linked to increased likelihood of cessation.

Testing a Moderated Mediation Model of Mindfulness, Psychosocial Stress, and Alcohol Use among African American Smokers.

Mindfulness-based strategies have received empirical support for improving coping with stress and reducing alcohol use. The present study presents a moderated mediation model to explain how mindfulness might promote healthier drinking patterns. This model posits that mindfulness reduces perceived stress, leading to less alcohol use, and also weakens the linkage between stress and alcohol use.

Adaptation of a counseling intervention to address multiple cancer risk factors among overweight/obese Latino smokers.

More than 60% of cancer-related deaths in the United States are attributable to tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity, and these risk factors tend to cluster together. Thus, strategies for cancer risk reduction would benefit from addressing multiple health risk behaviors. We adapted an evidence-based intervention grounded in social cognitive theory and principles of motivational interviewing originally developed for smoking cessation to also address physical activity and fruit/vegetable consumption among Latinos exhibiting multiple health risk behaviors.

Social support mediates the association of health literacy and depression among racially/ethnically diverse smokers with low socioeconomic status.

Nearly half of U.S. adults have health literacy (HL) difficulties, and lack the ability to effectively obtain, process, and understand health information.

Lower health literacy predicts smoking relapse among racially/ethnically diverse smokers with low socioeconomic status.

Background: Nearly half of U.S. adults have difficulties with health literacy (HL), which is defined as the ability to adequately obtain, process, and understand basic health information.

Mindfulness predicts lower affective volatility among African Americans during smoking cessation.

Recent research suggests that mindfulness benefits emotion regulation and smoking cessation. However, the mechanisms by which mindfulness affects emotional and behavioral functioning are unclear. One potential mechanism, lower affective volatility, has not been empirically tested during smoking cessation.

Positive smoking outcome expectancies mediate the association between negative affect and smoking urge among women during a quit attempt.

Ecological momentary assessment was used to examine associations between negative affect, positive smoking outcome expectancies, and smoking urge during the first 7 days of a smoking quit attempt. Participants were 302 female smokers who enrolled in an individually tailored smoking cessation treatment study. Multilevel mediation analysis was used to examine the temporal relationship among the following: (a) the effects of negative affect and positive smoking outcome expectancies at 1 assessment point (e.

Mindfulness Ameliorates the Relationship between Weight Concerns and Smoking Behavior in Female Smokers: A Cross-Sectional Investigation.

Weight concerns are common among female smokers and may interfere with smoking cessation. It is imperative to identify protective factors to lessen the likelihood that smoking-related weight concerns prompt smoking and hinder cessation efforts. Mindfulness is one potential protective factor that might prevent weight concerns from triggering smoking.

Psychosocial predictors of weight regain in the weight loss maintenance trial.

This study's purpose was to identify psychosocial predictors of weight loss maintenance in a multi-site clinical trial, following a group-based weight loss program. Participants (N = 1025) were predominately women (63%) and 38% were Black (mean age = 55.6 years; SD = 8.

The association of depression and anxiety with glycemic control among Mexican Americans with diabetes living near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly high among Mexican American adults residing near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lifestyle and cancer prevention in women: knowledge, perceptions, and compliance with recommended guidelines.

Background: Most women in the United States do not meet minimum recommendations for physical activity or fruit/vegetable consumption. Thus, many are overweight/obese and are at increased risk for cancer morbidity and mortality. This study investigated women's perceptions about the importance of physical activity and a healthy diet in preventing cancer, perceptions of engaging in these behaviors, and whether or not the behaviors met cancer prevention recommendations.

Associations between health literacy and established predictors of smoking cessation.

Objectives: We examined associations between health literacy and predictors of smoking cessation among 402 low-socioeconomic status (SES), racially/ethnically diverse smokers.

Methods: Data were collected as part of a larger study evaluating smoking health risk messages. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses to examine relations between health literacy and predictors of smoking cessation (i.

Medication-taking beliefs and diabetes in American Samoa: a qualitative inquiry.

In American Samoa (AS), nearly 22% of adults have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is best managed by diet and lifestyle modifications and strict medication adherence. Cultural aspects might affect medication-taking beliefs, and thereby influence medication adherence.

Race moderates the effect of menthol cigarette use on short-term smoking abstinence.

Introduction: The Food and Drug Administration is in the process of reviewing evidence of the impact of mentholated cigarettes on smoking behaviors and smoking cessation in order to determine if these products should be removed from the market. More empirical research is needed to inform those decisions. The goal of this study was to examine associations of menthol cigarette use with biochemically verified continuous short-term smoking abstinence, and potential moderation by race, among adult current smokers enrolled in a cohort study (N = 183; 57.

Smoking topography and outcome expectancies among individuals with schizotypy.

Compared to smokers in the general population, smokers with schizophrenia smoke more cigarettes per day and have higher nicotine dependence and biochemical indicators of nicotine intake. They also have more intense smoking topography and greater positive smoking expectancies. Little is known about the relationship between smoking and schizotypy, defined as the personality organization reflecting a vulnerability to schizophrenia-spectrum pathology.

Unique relationships between facets of mindfulness and eating pathology among female smokers.

Female smokers often have higher levels of eating disorder symptoms than non-smokers, and concerns about eating and weight might interfere with smoking cessation. Thus, it is critical to identify factors to promote healthier eating and body image in this population. Initial research suggests that specific aspects of trait mindfulness predict lower body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms among non-smokers.

Cluster analysis of undergraduate drinkers based on alcohol expectancy scores.

Objective: Expectancies of alcohol's effects have been associated with problem drinking in undergraduates. If subgroups can be classified based on expectancies, this may facilitate identifying those at highest risk for problem drinking.

Method: Undergraduates (N = 612) from two state universities completed a web-based survey.

Smoking, depression, and gender in low-income African Americans with HIV/AIDS.

Individuals with HIV/AIDS have disproportionately high depression and smoking prevalence rates. Smokers with HIV/AIDS are more susceptible to opportunistic infections, smoking-related illnesses, and mortality. African Americans (AAs) comprise nearly half of newly diagnosed HIV+ cases.

Directive support, nondirective support, and health behaviors in a community sample.

Social support is associated with improved psychological functioning, physical health, and health-promoting behaviors. However, research suggests that health outcomes might depend upon the type rather than the amount of support provided to recipients. This study assessed the relationship among nondirective and directive support, and health behaviors (i.

Targeting African American nonsmokers to motivate smokers to quit: a qualitative inquiry.

African Americans bear a disproportionate health burden from smoking but are less likely than other populations to engage in cessation treatment. Intervening on adult nonsmokers residing with a smoker might represent an innovative approach to motivate smokers to engage in smoking behavior change. Twelve focus groups were conducted with African American smokers (four groups, n = 27), nonsmokers (four groups, n = 26) and pairs of cohabitating smokers and nonsmokers (four groups, n = 22) to assess attitudes and/or beliefs regarding engaging a nonsmoker in the home in smoking behavior change efforts.

Cannabis and psychometrically-defined schizotypy: use, problems and treatment considerations.

Cannabis use is associated with onset of psychosis in individuals vulnerable for developing schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The present study addressed three knowledge gaps pertaining to this issue: 1) clarifying the incidence of cannabis use in schizotypal individuals, 2) examining how cannabis use is related to psychosocial and physiological problems in schizotypy and interest in treatment, and 3) examining how cannabis use is associated with positive, negative and disorganization features of schizotypy. Scores from a measure of schizotypal traits were used to trichotomize 1665 young adults into schizotypy (top 5% of scorers), non-schizotypy (bottom 50% of scorers) and "unconventional" (scorers within the 50th to 85th percentile) groups.

Cigarette smoking across the schizotypy spectrum.

This study examined relationships between schizotypy symptom dimensions and smoking. Individuals with schizotypy (n=81) were twice as likely to smoke as individuals in a normative reference group (n=303). Among those with schizotypy, smokers reported more severe disorganization and less severe negative schizotypal symptoms.

Comparing two measures of psychomotor performance in patients with HIV: the Coin Rotation Test and the Modified HIV Dementia Screen.

Background: Psychomotor slowing is an early symptom of HIV-associated dementia. The Modified HIV Dementia Scale (MHDS) is a fast, reliable measure of HIV-associated dementia. However, literacy may influence the psychomotor speed subscale (MHDS-PS).

Psychometric properties of a Brief Smoking Consequences Questionnaire for Adults (SCQ-A) among African American light smokers.

Despite a decline in cigarette smoking over the past few decades, rates remain unacceptably high for certain segments of the population, such as urban African Americans (AAs). AA smokers, on average, smoke fewer cigarettes per day than European American samples; however, AA smokers are less likely to achieve abstinence during a quit attempt. Outcome expectancies have previously been association with cessation outcomes, but prior research has not examined expectancies among treatment-seeking AA light smokers.

Support needs of overweight African American women for weight loss.

Objectives: To examine social support needs of obese and overweight African American women for weight loss.

Methods: Focus groups were conducted with overweight and obese African American women. Data were analyzed using standard grounded theory text analysis.