Sharon Lipperman-Kreda

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation | PIRE · Prevention Research Center PRC

Introduction: Research has rarely examined ethnic differences in exposure to COVID-related stress in relation to smoking and e-cigarette use. Using pre- and post-COVID data from a sample of predominantly Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) young adults, this study tested the effects of ethnicity on cigarette smoking...

Purpose: We assessed how COVID-19-related alcohol sales policies influenced alcohol use behaviors during the pandemic for U.S. adults of diverse sexual (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning [LGBQ]) and gender identities (transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender questioning [T/NB/GQ]). Methods: Time-specific, state-level, restaurant, ba...

Introduction: This study evaluated how Shelter-in-Place (SIP), modified reopening orders, and self-reported compliance with these orders have affected adolescent alcohol frequency and quantity of use across contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: Differences-in-differences (DID) models and multi-level modeling analyses were...

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is among the most harmful ways to consume nicotine and tends to be concentrated among socially marginalized groups of people, including sexual and gender minorities (SGM). Though some approaches to tobacco control in the U.S. are harm reduction strategies (e.g. smoke-free environments), often abstinence is an explic...

Abstract Background Adolescents who dual use ENDS with tobacco cigarettes are more likely to have an increased risk of developing dependence. Yet, little is understood about the factors driving dual use among adolescents. The current study sought to reveal the day-to-day socio-temporal contextual and community factors associated with adolescents’ u...

Background: Research has shown that specific contexts are associated with alcohol related problems in adults, but less is known about adolescents. Objectives: We examined how frequencies of drinking in different contexts and the amount of alcohol consumed in these contexts may be related to different alcohol-related problems among adolescent drinke...

Introduction Shelter-in-place (SIP) orders altered facilitators and barriers to tobacco use (e.g., outlet closures, restricted social gatherings). This study examined whether duration of time in SIP and compliance with different SIP orders influenced adolescent cigarette and e-cigarette use, and how use may differ by demographic characteristics. M...

Early COVID-19 safety protocols urged physical and social distancing, resulting in minimal contact with others. As social contexts are central to vaping among youth, we used semi-structured interviews to describe how youth who vape are making sense of their use practices and adaptations. The qualitative analyses revealed changes in vaping frequency...

Background The onset of alcohol use during adolescence is associated with concurrent and subsequent related problems. Research on drinking contexts that underly these key first-time experiences and how they differ by initiation type is needed. The current study examined the physical, social, and situational characteristics of three types of initiat...

Background Adolescents who dual use ENDS with tobacco cigarettes are more likely to have an increased risk of developing dependence. Yet, little is understood about the factors driving dual use among adolescents. The current study sought to reveal the day-to-day contextual and community factors associated with adolescents’ use of electronic nicotin...

Background: Cigarette smoking is among the most harmful ways to consume nicotine and, troublingly, tends to be concentrated among socially marginalized groups of people, including those who identify their sexualities and genders in ways that classify them as sexual and gender minorities (SGM). Though some approaches to tobacco control in the United...

Purpose Adolescent initiation of drinking and intoxication is associated with concurrent and later problems among adolescents. This study explores the mechanisms by which the context of close friendships is important to adolescents’ decisions to initiate drinking and heavy alcohol use. Methods In-depth face-to-face qualitative interviews were cond...

We investigated the perceived impact of COVID-19 on changes in tobacco and nicotine (NT) use among sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults. We used a mixed methods approach that included closed- and open-ended survey questions and in-depth interviews. Participants were 53 SGM young adults in California who reported current or past cigarette s...

Objective: Adolescents are more likely than young adults to use electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), yet most of what is known is concluded from young adult ENDS use as young adults are easier to survey. Additionally, while evidence about the prevalence and trends of adolescent ENDS use comes from cross-sectional studies, ecological moment...

Objective: To better quantify the impact of specific on- and off-premise drinking contexts on population-level alcohol-related problems, we evaluated context-specific risks relative to frequency of use of each context. Method: We surveyed 860 adult (21-100 years) past-year drinkers in the California East Bay, sampled in areas of high versus low...

Objective: We examined associations of city-level policies and enforcement operations (i.e., social host laws and party patrol operations) with youth drinking, heavy drinking, and drinking-related problems in private and public drinking contexts. We also examined whether these associations were modified by age. Method: We surveyed 580 youth (age...

Background We investigated youth daily activity spaces, travel patterns, exposure to tobacco retail marketing, and tobacco and cannabis use and co-use. Methods: Data included 1,060 daily assessments from 100 participants (16-20 years old) in 8 California cities. Using GPS-enabled smartphones with a survey application, youth completed brief daily su...

Background: Few studies have examined associations between perceived and objective exposure to tobacco marketing and cigar use, which is the second most commonly used tobacco product by youth. Methods: We used Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment data over 14 days from youth aged 16-20 years (n=83 participants, n=948 observations; 34% past...

Time perspective is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct that assesses individuals’ feelings and thoughts about the past, present, and future. The current study examined relationships between feelings (time attitudes) and thoughts (time orientation) about time and substance use behaviors across three adolescent samples. Participants inclu...

Objective A California, USA, law raised the minimum tobacco sales age to 21 (T21) on 9 June 2016. We investigated whether T21 was associated with reductions adolescents’ use of tobacco cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes and whether these associations differed across racial and ethnic groups. Methods Secondary analyses of data...

Background and Aim To inform the development of effective nighttime preventive interventions, our goal was to assess adolescents’ residence (i.e., being at) and transitions across contexts during evening hours and risks for drinking and drinking-related problems in relation to contexts and to these transitions. Design Ecological Momentary Assessme...

Background The FDA’s policies restricting sale of sweet flavored cartridge-based and disposable electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) comprise important steps toward curbing adolescent ENDS use. However, additional evidence is needed about the contribution of specific flavors to adolescents’ ENDS use. This study investigated the effects of fl...

Background Examining underage drinking contexts can advance the field of adolescent substance use prevention by supporting and informing interventions that can target adolescents in specific contexts. The current study examines how concurrent and lagged situational (i.e., alcohol availability and adult supervision), social (i.e., the number of peop...

We investigated associations between experiences with police discrimination, police mistrust, and substance use in a convenience sample of 237 sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults in California. In a cross‐sectional survey, collected between January 2016 and July 2017, participants reported substance use, lifetime experiences with SGM‐related po...

Introduction: We investigated associations between exposure to tobacco outlets within activity spaces and daily tobacco use, and whether exposure to adults or peers using tobacco mediate these relationships. Methods: We used Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment data over 14 days from 85 youth aged 16-20 years in eight mid-sized California...

Abstract: To help inform policy and prevention, we used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine daily context, characteristics, motivations, and patterns of e-cig use among 50 adolescent vapers, ages 14 to 17, in Kentucky. An initial survey assessed demographics and e-cig use and perceptions while daily surveys over two weeks (700 observat...

Aims: To examine whether daily exposure to tobacco outlets within activity spaces is associated with cigarette smoking and with the number of cigarettes smoked by youth that day. Design: The study used Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment (GEMA) data that combined daily surveys with ecological momentary assessment of global positioning sys...

Objective: This article provides a systematic review of cross-sectional research examining associations between exposure to alcohol marketing and alcohol use behaviors among adolescents and young adults. Method: Literature searches of eight electronic databases were carried out in February 2017. Searches were not limited by date, language, count...

This study used rich qualitative data to examine the role that social and physical contexts play in decision making related to simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana among adolescents. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 adolescents who used alcohol and marijuana within several hours of each other. Decisions about whether...

Most people who smoke cigarettes begin young. Consequently, public health efforts directed at youth are a priority. The increasing popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among youth in the United States has raised concerns in the public health community about the potential of ENDS to renormalize cigarette smoking and perpetuate n...

Introduction: Existing research on youth's adoption of alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) has focused on identifying pathways of nicotine product use, specifically examining whether vaping encourages progression to smoking. Few studies have considered other pathways of initiation. Qualitative studies suggest that meanings of vaping vary...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Mechanisms underlying associations between early drinking and problems are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: We investigated (a) associations between early age of first intoxication (≤ 15 years) and past year drinking in different contexts and (b) whether early age of first intoxication is differentially associated with problems in...

Introduction Existing research on youth’s adoption of alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) has focused on identifying pathways of nicotine product use, specifically examining whether vaping encourages progression to smoking. Few studies have considered other pathways of initiation. Qualitative studies suggest that meanings of vaping vary si...

Aims: We investigated how intersections of being a racial minority (i.e. being African American) and economically disadvantaged (i.e. housing insecurity) may influence experiences with discrimination and perceptions of smoking-related stigma among sexual and gender minority (SGM) current and former smokers. Methods: Survey data were collected from...

Introduction and Aims Clerks and servers at alcohol establishments often fail to verify age. Using mystery shoppers to provide performance feedback is one approach to improving age verification. Few controlled studies have evaluated mystery shop interventions. This paper reports on a cluster randomised cross‐over trial of a mystery shop interventio...

We conducted a preliminary study to rapidly assess (1) whether an underground cigarette market exists in the area known as Oakland Chinatown in Oakland, California; and if so, (2) who consumes untaxed cigarettes in this ethnic enclave to provide a basis for further investigation.

Objective: We investigated how associations between social and situational characteristics (number of people, adult supervision, group gender composition, group age composition, ease of alcohol access, and weekend) and underage drinking are moderated by the specific locations in which drinking occurs. Method: Using a case-crossover design and re...

Objective We conducted meta-analyses of studies that investigated the associations between tobacco outlet density around homes and schools and adolescents’ past-month cigarette smoking. Data sources Systematic literature searches of eight databases were carried out in February 2017. Searches were not limited by date, language, country or peer-revi...

Photovoice is used widely for engaging community members in action research aimed at reducing health inequities. Photovoice methodology can help to raise participants’ critical awareness regarding the root causes of community health problems, thereby encouraging them to take action to address these root causes. We report on our experiences using ph...

We investigated social and situational characteristics associated with adolescents' drinking at party and non-party events and whether these associations vary by party location (homes versus other locations). Ecological momentary assessment data were obtained over two weekends from 149 adolescents in California (46% female, M age=16.4years), using...

We investigated contexts of simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana and the impact of simultaneous use on problems among adolescents. Ecological momentary assessment data were obtained over two weekends from 150 adolescents in California (47% female, M age = 16.36 years), using smartphone surveys administered early and late in the evening and aga...

Previous research suggests that the context in which drinking occurs contribute to specific alcohol-related problems. In the current study we assessed how often adolescents attended different contexts in which they could drink, how often they drank in those contexts, and whether drinking patterns and parental monitoring were related to alcohol use...

Introduction and aims: Little is known about social-ecological correlates of simultaneous use of alcohol with other substances. This study examined places and social contexts associated with simultaneous use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana among young adults. Design and methods: We used survey data obtained from 1538 young adult recent alcohol...

Objective: The present study aims to better understand the situational, contextual, and social event-level characteristics that contribute to youth drinking behavior in the home. Method: We used survey data from 1,217 adolescents (15-18 years, 47.7% female) living in 24 midsized, noncontiguous California cities. The study focused on those who re...

Tobacco denormalization is a widely accepted tobacco control strategy, shaping policies and programs throughout the United States as well as globally. In spite of widespread beliefs about the effectiveness of tobacco denormalization approaches, concerns about their emphasis on stigmatization have emerged. Social science research on smoking stigma r...

Although the population-level success of tobacco denormalization is widely accepted, it remains unclear whether these strategies alleviate health inequities for sexual and gender minorities. The high risk of smoking among sexual and gender minorities together with research that documents a relationship between stigma-related processes and smoking p...

AimsTo estimate relationships of tobacco outlet density, cigarette sales without ID checks, and local enforcement of underage tobacco laws with youth's lifetime cigarette smoking, perceived availability of tobacco and perceived enforcement of underage tobacco laws and changes over time.DesignThe study involved: (a) three annual telephone surveys, (...

We explored whether exposure to tobacco outlets in youths׳ broader activity spaces differs from that obtained using traditional geographic measures of exposure to tobacco outlet within buffers around homes and schools. Youths completed an initial survey, daily text-prompted surveys, and carried GPS-enabled phones for one week. GPS locations were ge...

To identify drinking contexts toward which prevention efforts should be directed, associations of context-specific alcohol use (past-year frequency of drinking and heavier drinking in the context) with a range of alcohol-related problems were examined in a population sample of adolescents. A sample of youths (ages 15 to 18) residing in 50 medium-to...

Different drinkers may experience specific risks depending on where they consume alcohol. This longitudinal study examined drinking patterns, and demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with youth drinking in different contexts. We used survey data from 665 past-year alcohol-using youths (ages 13 to 16 at Wave 1) in 50 midsized Cali...

Objective: Many states and local communities have enacted social host (SH) laws to reduce underage drinking in private settings. However, little is known about whether such laws are effective. This study examined relationships between city SH laws and underage drinking in general and at parties in private settings. Method: SH policy data were co...

Prevention researchers have found that drinking in different contexts is related to different alcohol problems. Where and with whom people drink affects the types of alcohol-related problems they experience. Consequently, identifying those contexts that result in the greatest number of problems pro-vides a novel opportunity to target new prevention...

Important questions remain regarding the effectiveness of local tobacco policies for preventing and reducing youth tobacco use and the relative importance of these policies. The aims of this paper are to: (1) compare policy effectiveness ratings provided by researchers and tobacco prevention specialists for individual local tobacco policies, and (2...

This study investigated the associations of youth cigarette smoking with tobacco outlet densities and proximity of tobacco outlets to youth homes and schools across different buffers in 45 midsized California communities. The sample comprised 832 youths who were surveyed about their smoking behaviors. Inclusion criteria included both home and schoo...

Few studies have investigated the complex interactions among the individual- and community-level social risk factors that underlie adolescents' smoking behaviors. This study investigated whether community-level adult daily smoking prevalence is associated with adolescents' smoking and whether it moderates the associations between perceived friends'...

To examine relationships between characteristics of the local alcohol environment and adolescent alcohol use and beliefs in 50 California cities. The study used longitudinal survey data collected from adolescents; city-level measures of local alcohol policy comprehensiveness, policy enforcement, adult drinking and bar density; and multi-level model...

This study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, examines psychosocial mediators to explain discrepancies in past-30-day drinking between African American and White college student drinkers in the United States. Between 2008 and 2010, 5,845 college drinkers completed an online survey about their alcohol use. Using laten...

Despite reports of high rates of smoking among Southeast Asian refugees in the United States, few studies have described the environmental aspects of tobacco use among this population, particularly for the second-generation youths. This absence is notable because the social environment within which second-generation youths are exposed to tobacco pr...

Objectives: This study examines contextual and community-level characteristics associated with youth access to tobacco through commercial sources in 50 non-contiguous mid-sized California communities. Methods: The study is based on data from access surveys conducted by four confederate buyers (two men and two women) in 997 tobacco outlets. City...

Southeast Asian Americans are highly at risk for tobacco use. Youth-led, environmentally focused tobacco prevention programs have been identified as highly effective in engaging youth in tobacco research and prevention, but may be challenging for the most at-risk youths. We report on lessons learned in a pilot tobacco prevention program with Southe...

This study investigates the associations between local tobacco policy, tobacco outlet density, and youth smoking. A primary focus is on whether local tobacco policy moderates the relation between outlet density and youth smoking. In all, 1,491 youth (51.9% male, mean age = 14.7 years, standard deviation = 1.05) in 50 midsized California cities were...

Background and Objective. Smoking prevalence remains elevated among blue-collar compared to white-collar workers, and construction workers have the highest rate (39%) among blue-collar occupational groups. The study's objective is to identify gender differences in smoking correlates among this traditionally male-dominated occupation so as to better...

The current study examined: 1) whether using cigarettes to enhance the effects of other drugs (here referred to as "boosting") is a unique practice related to blunts (i.e., small cheap cigars hollowed out and filled with cannabis) or marijuana use only; 2) the prevalence of boosting among drug-using young people; and 3) the relationship between boo...

Tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States, killing over 430,000 people annually. Tobacco initiation and use among youth remains a significant public health concern. Despite declines in U.S. youth tobacco use in recent years, state and national survey results are still cause for alarm. Although...

Given the positive outcomes of volunteerism for youth and society, an important question is determining which factors promote and sustain youth volunteerism. The current study proposed a modified conceptual model among the constructs (parent and peer influences, prosocial personality dimensions, and sociodemographic correlates) outlined in Penner's...

In this brief report, antisocial and prosocial adolescents are contrasted in terms of impulsivity and venturesomeness, and the cognitive style of field dependence- independence are assessed using the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The data have been collected from a total of 366 youths, ranging in age between 12 and 18 years. Antisocials are f...

Strategies to enforce underage drinking laws are aimed at reducing youth access to alcohol from commercial and social sources and deterring its possession and use. However, little is known about the processes through which enforcement strategies may affect underage drinking. The purpose of the current study is to present and test a conceptual model...

School tobacco use policies are often considered to be part of a comprehensive approach to preventing or reducing adolescent cigarette smoking. However, little is known about the relationships between such policies and adolescents' smoking behaviors or the mechanisms by which any such influence may occur. The present study tested a conceptual model...

School tobacco use policies are part of a comprehensive strategy for preventing or reducing adolescent cigarette smoking. This study examines the relationship between perceived tobacco policy enforcement at the school level and smoking behaviors among students. 21,281 middle and high school students of 255 schools participated in the 2006 Oregon He...

Strategies to enforce underage drinking laws are aimed at reducing youth access to alcohol from commercial and social sources and deterring its possession and use. However, the processes through which enforcement strategies may affect underage drinking are not well understood. This study examined three possible processes by which perceived enforcem...

State of consciousness and reflective awareness are intrinsically related, in that the different states of consciousness entail "specific forms - including absence - of reflective awareness" (Rapaport, 1951, p. 708). Both phenomena of consciousness would also seem to bear an important relationship with various forms of thought. What has not, hither...