About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 7. Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Abstract

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This study investigated the association between gender discrimination and tobacco use among adolescent girls. Gender discrimination refers to the interpersonal bias individuals experience because of their gender (Klonoff & Landrine, 1995; Swim et al., 2001). This form of discrimination disproportionately affects girls and women. It is multidimensional and can manifest in both overt and subtle forms (Swim & Cohen, 1997). For adolescents, gender discrimination may originate from various sources, including teachers, coaches, peers, siblings, and parents (Brown & Stone, 2016; Leaper & Brown, 2014). Previous research has linked gender discrimination to tobacco use in women (Borrell et al., 2010; Zucker & Landry, 2007), but there is limited understanding of this association among adolescent girls. To address this gap, we investigated how gender discrimination from multiple sources relates to different types of tobacco use, including combustible tobacco, nicotine vaping, and dual use.

Data were collected anonymously with paper-and-pencil surveys from two public high schools in the Western United States. Participants were 725 adolescents (Mage = 15.90; SDage = 1.23) in grades 9-12 who identified as either cisgender girls (98.62%) or transgender girls (1.38%). Gender Discrimination was measured with five subscales that assessed experiences of overt and subtle sexism (α = 0.85-0.92). Example items included, “How often have you been insulted by teenagers because of your gender?” and “Someone tells you that sexism does not exist anymore.” Response options ranged from 1 (never) to 5 (all of the time). Tobacco use was measured with lifetime and past month use of combustible tobacco and nicotine vaping products. These were further categorized into four groups: no use, combustible tobacco use only, nicotine vaping use only, and dual use of combustible tobacco and nicotine vaping products. We measured social class with maternal education. Adolescents are reliable reporters of maternal education (Diemer et al., 2013), and parental education is the most often used indicator of social class (Diemer et al., 2013; Entwisle & Astone, 1994). The sample included 50.5% who had a college degree or more and 49.5% who had less than a college degree.

Results from the multinomial logistic regression indicated that higher levels of overt gender discrimination from teenagers, school personnel, other important adults and subtle denial of gender discrimination were positively associated with lifetime dual use compared to non-tobacco use. Overt gender discrimination from school personnel was positively associated with past month dual use compared to non-tobacco use. These associations remained after controlling for age.

Our findings underscore the urgent need for anti-discrimination training programs aimed at school personnel. Efforts aimed at raising awareness about implicit biases, gender-biased attitudes, and gender-based disparities can cultivate an inclusive environment for adolescents of all genders. Addressing this form of bias in educational settings is crucial for mitigating its harmful effects on adolescent health and preventing risky behaviors such as tobacco use. The insights from this study can guide educators, policymakers, and healthcare providers in developing strategies to tackle gender discrimination and promote better health outcomes for adolescent girls.

Author information

Author	Role
Zena R. Mello, Ph.D., San Francisco State University	Presenting author
Vani Kakar, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Busra Dogru, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Adam Suri, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Manuel Abundis-Morales, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Jo Nisa Cabilogan, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Sean Hennigan, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Abraham Tou Jang Moua, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Jeremiah Sadile Sabale, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Christopher Garcia, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Jay Michael Espinoza, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author

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