ABSTRACT
This paper compares rural and urban youth cigarette-smoking behavior using the Monitoring the Future data set, a national, probability-based, multi-stage sample design. Cigarette smoking was examined by region, race, and gender over time. Results indicated that rural White males smoked more often (30-day prevalence of 34%) than any other group. Urban Black males smoked the least (10%). Urban White females smoked more (30-day prevalence of 33%) than urban Black females (7%). In general, rural and urban Whites reported smoking at significantly higher rates than rural and urban Blacks. Smoking rates declined steadily for both rural and urban Black females and urban Black males over the study period. These data document distinctive patterns of tobacco use among the nation's youth, which can be used by program planners for specific targeted interventions.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Black or African American/statistics & numerical data , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Smoking/epidemiology , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , White People/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Attitude to Health , Data Collection , Female , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Random Allocation , Registries , Risk Factors , Sampling Studies , Sex Distribution , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Survey data concerning the first sexual intercourse (FSI) experiences of 272 undergraduate students revealed that 6% had experienced FSI against their personal wills (victims); 1% had experienced FSI against the will of the other person (offenders); 81% had experienced FSI at the will of both participants (consenting); and 11% were virgins (does not add up to 100% because of rounding). Examination of the students' perceptions of the various factors contributing to nonconsensual sexual intercourse (NSI) showed that fewer than 50% of the students agreed that situational and psychological factors contribute to NSI. Results also indicated that being a woman and perceptions about the factors that reduce victims' resistance were significant predictors of who would be the victim of FSI. Religious background, the reasons for having a date, and perceptions regarding the factors that enhance motivation to have NSI were significant predictors of FSI offenders. Personal risk behaviors were the strongest predictors of students who experienced FSI at the will of both participants, and risk factors were inversely related to being a virgin.
