Tobacco use is a leading cause of premature and preventable death among adults in the United States. Young adult sexual minority women (SMW) report more combustible and e-cigarette use than heterosexual young adult women. Young adult sexual minority men (SMM) report slightly higher combustible and e-cigarette use than heterosexual young adult men. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between minority stress and current tobacco use among a sample of sexual and gender minorities (SGM).
This study consisted of 116 participants who completed online Qualtrics studies. All participants were between 18 and 35 and living in the United States at the time of the survey. Current tobacco use, minority stress, perceived stress, gender and sexual orientation, and sociodemographic characteristics were measured. Sociodemographic characteristics consisted of urbanicity, race, and college education. Minority stress was the study’s main predictor of interest. It was measured using an adapted version of the 8-item Daily Sexual Minority Stressors in Lesbian Women Scale. The adaptive version of this tool asked questions such as “For each of the following statements, rate how much this experience describes something that happened to you in the past 30 days because you identify as LGBTQ+.”
Results of this study showed that SGM young adults have higher rates of tobacco use compared to their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Findings also suggest that there is a correlation between experiencing distal minority stress and current tobacco use among SGM young adults. These findings showcase opportunities for targeting tobacco prevention and cessation intervention to SGM young adults most at risk, and for tobacco intervention to also address minority stress.
Takeaway: Tobacco prevention and cessation intervention should target SGM young adults most at risk, and tobacco intervention should also address minority stress.