Weight concerns and smoking in Black and White female smokers

We examined whether the weight concerns of Blacks and Whites who enroll in smoking-cessation treatment differed from women who declined treatment. Black (n=100) and White (n=100) female smokers completed four measures of weight concern. Whites reported more general weight concern and smoking-specific weight concern than Blacks did. Treatment enrollers reported more general and smoking-specific weight concerns than decliners did. After controlling for BMI, SES, and number of cigarettes, ethnicity accounted for significant variance in general and smoking-specific weight concerns. Overall, Blacks reported less weight concerns than the Whites did, but when Blacks enrolled in treatment, these differences were less apparent.