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Introduction Although the relationship between risk perceptions and quit intentions has been established, few studies explore the potential impact of smoking level on these associations, and none have done so among diversely-aged samples of multiple ethnicities. Methods Participants, ranging in age from 25 to 81, were 1133 nondaily smokers (smoked ≥1 cigarette on 4 to 24 days in the past 30 days), 556 light daily smokers (≤10 cigarettes per day), and 585 moderate to heavy daily smokers (>10 cigarettes per day). Each smoking level comprised approximately equal numbers of African Americans, Latinos, and Whites. A logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sociodemographics, self-rated health, time to the first cigarette of the day and smoking level, was used to examine the association between risk perception (perceived risk of acquiring lung cancer, lung disease, and heart disease) and intention to quit (≤6 months versus >6 months/never). A second adjusted model tested moderation by smoking level with an interaction term. Results Greater risk perception was associated with a higher odds of planning to quit within 6 months (AOR=1.34, CI.95=1.24, 1.45). Smoking level did not moderate this association (p=.85). Conclusions Results suggest that educating all smokers, irrespective of their smoking level, about increased risk of developing smoking-related diseases might be a helpful strategy to enhance their intention to make a smoking quit attempt.

Objectives To explore associations between financial strain and self-rated health among 1341 Black adults. Methods Associations were investigated using a covariate-adjusted linear regression model. Mediation (via stress and/or depressive symptoms) was explored in additional models using a nonparametric bootstrapping procedure. Results Higher financial strain was associated with poorer self-rated health (p < .001). Stress and depressive symptoms were each significant mediators of this relation in both single and multiple mediator models (p values ≤ .05). Conclusions Financial strain may contribute to poorer health among Black adults, partially via greater stress and depressive symptoms. Potential theoretical, intervention, and policy implications are discussed. Future studies with longitudinal designs are needed to confirm these results.

Background African Americans suffer disproportionately from the adverse consequences of behavioral risk factors for cancer relative to other ethnic groups. Recent studies have assessed how financial strain might uniquely contribute to engagement in modifiable behavioral risk factors for cancer, but not among African Americans. The current study examined associations between financial strain and modifiable cancer risk factors (smoking, at-risk alcohol use, overweight/obesity, insufficient physical activity, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, and multiple risk factors) among 1278 African American adults (age=46.5±12.6, 77% female) and explored potential mediators (stress and depressive symptoms) of those associations. Methods Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between financial strain and cancer risk factors. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, partner status, income, educational level, and employment status. Analyses involving overweight/obesity status additionally controlled for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Nonparametric bootstrapping procedures were used to assess mediation. Results Greater financial strain was associated with greater odds of insufficient physical activity (p<.003) and smoking (p=.005) and was positively associated with the total number of cancer risk factors (p<.0001). There was a significant indirect effect of both stress and depressive symptoms on the relations of financial strain with physical inactivity and multiple risk factors, respectively. Conclusions Future interventions aimed at reducing cancer disparities should focus on African Americans experiencing higher financial strain while addressing their stress and depressive symptoms. Impact Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the temporal and causal relations between financial strain and modifiable behavioral cancer risk factors among African Americans.