LGB communities, especially lesbian and bisexual women, appear to be effectively targeted by tobacco industry marketing activities. Strategies to limit tobacco industry marketing, and increase individuals' resistance to marketing, may be critical to reducing smoking among LGB populations.

No abstract

School-based health education is a promising approach for improving organ donation rates, but little is known about its efficacy among ethnically diverse youth. The impact of a classroom intervention was examined in a multicultural high school population where students' ethnicities were 45% African American, 30% Asian American, and 33% Caucasian (allowing for multiracial choices). A baseline survey was administered to all health classes within 2 weeks prior to intervention. On the intervention day, classes randomly assigned to the intervention group received an educational session, followed by a second survey; in control classes, the second survey was taken before the educational session. At baseline, non-Caucasian ethnicity and male gender were each associated with lower levels of willingness to donate. Following the intervention, students in the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge scores (p<0.001), as well as positive movement of opinion regarding willingness to donate (p<0.0001). Most importantly, the positive changes in opinion occurred independently of ethnicity and gender, in spite of these both being negative predictors of opinion at baseline. These results demonstrate that even a single classroom exposure can impact knowledge levels, correct misinformation, and effect opinion change on organ donation among an ethnically diverse adolescent population.

Overall, this pilot study provided encouraging evidence that the classroom health education program affected knowledge about organ donation, and that opinions about organ donation are responsive to increases in knowledge.

Gender differences in perception of risk associated with use of alcohol and other drugs were assessed among a sample of 1,244 undergraduates at a major Pacific Northwest university. Reexamination of data from a self-administered questionnaire revealed that females were more likely than males to perceive greater risk with use of alcohol and other drugs. In particular, female perceptions of risk were significantly different from males (P < .001) for most levels of alcohol use and for perception of risk for occasional use of psychedelics, heroin, and diet pills. Our findings suggest the need for continued gender-specific research (and health education) in substance abuse prevention.