Organizational Affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, & Office on Smoking and Health
Author: N/A
Date: 1998
Contact Information: N/A
Pages: 17
Content Summary
This report summarizes the Surgeon General's report on tobacco use with a specific focus on African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics. The report delineates the core Healthy People 2000 objectives that it seeks to analyze. The report explains the working definitions for each racial minority groups that was assessed. There is also a brief discussion of the demographics of each of the minority groups. There is a table on page nine that summarizes important demographic characteristics by race and ethnicity. The authors also explore genetic factors, culture, acculturation, and socioeconomic characteristics and their role in racial differences in health. The chapters final in this report explore the tobacco related areas for racial minority groups including: patterns of tobacco use, health consequences of tobacco use, factors that influence tobacco use and tobacco control and education efforts. In the last few pages of the report the reader is presented with the chapter conclusions for each of the chapters of the full report. These summaries are helpful for understanding the main goals of the report.
Major Findings
One major finding of this report is that tobacco use is a leading cause of death and disease amongst all the racial minority groups studied. African Americans are the most at risk for tobacco related health problems. In addition, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest prevalence of tobacco use. The report showed that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for each of the minority groups studied. The report found that African American youths experienced the greatest decline in tobacco use compared to the other racial minority groups from the 1970s to the 1980s. The report also showed that tobacco product advertising is heavily targeted toward the racial minority groups which undermines the educational efforts to prevent cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is also related to psychological stress factors in the groups studied in this report.
Unaddressed Issues or Concerns
This report does not adequately address the racial disparities among Whites and the minority groups that were studied. A 2003 report found that minorities were disproportionately affected by oral cancers and were more likely to have later stage disease upon diagnosis and thus shorter survival (Miller 573). Thus, there are profound disparities in the health outcomes experienced by white and non-white tobacco users.
Reference List
Miller, C., R. Henry, and M. Rayens. "Disparities in Risk of and Survival from Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma." Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology & Endodontics. 95.5 (2003): 570-575.
How to Access Report http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_1998/index.htm