Measuring the stop point of rapid smoking

A method and an apparatus are described for measuring the point at which subjects elect to stop smoking when cigarette smoke is delivered more rapidly than in typical smoking. The device allows either the subject or the experimenter to control the volume of smoke and the interval between puffs. The device delivers reliable quantities of particulate matter from cigarette smoke. Subjects retested a week apart exhibited consistent stopping points.     

Subjective well-being in urban adolescents of color

Relationships among predictors and criteria of subjective well-being were examined in a sample of 151 urban adolescents of color, ages 12-15. The relative strengths of family, peer, and school-related support and esteem in predicting three measures of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect) were explored. Results suggested that sense of worth in one's family explained a significant amount of variance in subjective well-being variables, above and beyond the contributions of individual, school, and peer-related variables. Implications for prevention and mental health promotion with urban adolescents of color are discussed based on these findings.     

Optimistic Bias Among Cigarette Smokers1

Smokers, unlike other populations engaging in risky behavior, readily acknowledge that tobacco use increases their susceptibility to smoking-related illness. This study used data from the Adult Use of Tobacco Survey to demonstrate that smokers, while acknowledging increased risk for illness, still show evidence of an optimistic bias in their perception of the hazards of their usual brand of cigarette. Optimism was assessed, first, by grouping respondents by perceived cigarette hazards (higher, lower, or about the same as others), and, second, by comparing Federal Trade Comission (FTC)-calculated and respondent-estimated cigarette tar levels. An optimistic bias was observed in all assessments. Perceived cigarette risk was not related to desire to stop smoking, if an easy way to do so were available, nor was it related to the number of previous quit attempts lasting one week or longer.     

Disentangling the Role of Religiosity in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Religion and Health - Religion is a complex and sociocultural driver of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination decisions, but its exact role has been mixed/unclear. We used a...