Ethnic Microaggressions and Smoking Behaviors Among Latinx Adults

Latinx Smokers: Evaluating Ethnic Microaggressions on Smoking Behavior and Relapse

The purpose of this study is to examine whether microaggressions relate to multimodal facets of smoking behavior, subjective withdrawal, and urge/craving. Additionally, the second aim is to examine whether smoking deprivation moderates the relation between microaggressions and multiple facets of smoking behavior, subjective withdrawal, and urge/craving.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Smoking; Discrimination, Racial
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Microaggression Recall and Relapse Analogue Task

Detailed Description

This proposal will employ a novel multi-modal approach to evaluate the role of microaggressions in relation to smoking lapse and topography among a sample of Latinx smokers. Adult Latinx daily smokers will attend two counterbalanced experimental sessions - (1) smoking deprivation (16 hours of smoking abstinence) and (2) smoking as usual - during which microaggressions during the relapse analog task will be assessed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Brooke Y Kauffman, Ph.D.; Phone Number: (713) 743-8056; Email: bkauffma@central.uh.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77204
      • Recruiting
      • RESTORE Laboratory: Research on Emotion, Substance Treatment Outcomes, and Racial Equity
      • Contact: Aniqua Salwa, B.A.; Phone Number: 713-743-8056; Email: asalwa@central.uh.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Brooke Kauffman, Ph.D.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being 18 years of age or older
• Current regular (daily) cigarette smoking for >= 1 year
• Current smoking >= 5 cig/day and biochemically confirmed via carbon monoxide (CO) analysis
• Being self-identified as Hispanic or Latino
• Able to provide written, informed consent
• Endorsement of at least one microaggression experience over the past 6-months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Endorsement of current psychotic symptoms
• Active suicidality
• Currently pregnant

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Smoking Deprivation; 16 hours of smoking abstinence prior to experimental visit.	Behavioral: Microaggression Recall and Relapse Analogue Task; Participants will engage in a microaggression recall task followed by the McKee Experimental Relapse Analogue Task
Experimental: Smoking as Usual; Smoking as usual prior to experimental visit.	Behavioral: Microaggression Recall and Relapse Analogue Task; Participants will engage in a microaggression recall task followed by the McKee Experimental Relapse Analogue Task

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Smoking Behaviors	Smoking behaviors will be operationally defined as smoking topography (e.g., puff behavior) measured via the Clinical Research Support System (CReSS; Plowshare Technologies, Borgwaldt KC, Inc., Virginia).	During the Smoking as Usual Visit and Smoking Deprivation Visit (Visits are randomly ordered, counterbalanced separated by ~14 days)
Subjective Withdrawal	The 8-item Minnesota Withdrawal Scale will be used to assesses withdrawal severity. Each of the items are rated on a Likert-type scale ranging from 0 to 4. Items are summed to produce a total score with higher scores indicative of worse outcomes (possible range 0-32).	During the Smoking as Usual Visit and Smoking Deprivation Visit (Visits are randomly ordered, counterbalanced separated by ~14 days)
Urge/Craving	Smoking urge/craving will be measured with the 10-item Questionnaire of Smoking Urges-Brief (QSU-B). Each of the items are rated on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 7. Items are summed to create two subscale scores and a total score with higher scores indicative of worse outcomes (possible range 7-70).	During the Smoking as Usual Visit and Smoking Deprivation Visit (Visits are randomly ordered, counterbalanced separated by ~14 days)
Smoking Lapse Behaviors	Smoking Lapse Behaviors will be measured during the Relapse Analogue Task (RAT), during which participants are able to delay smoking for a small financial reward. For this task, Smoking Lapse Behaviors are conceptualized as two variables: (a) minutes in time of smoking delay (possible range -50 to +50) and (b) number of cigarettes smoked	During the Smoking as Usual Visit and Smoking Deprivation Visit (Visits are randomly ordered, counterbalanced separated by ~14 days)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Houston
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Brooke Y Kauffman, Ph.D., University of Houston

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 13, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 8, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 28, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Smoking; Hispanic; Latinx
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00003689

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No