Less than 1% of smokers smoked unfiltered or rolled cigarettes outside the prison, but both White (31.1%) and Black (15.9%) smokers reported that unfiltered or rolled cigarettes were the type smoked most often in prison. Black any other enquiries smokers were more likely to report starting smoking for the first time since coming to prison and to report increasing the amount they smoked during incarceration. Racial differences on smoking cessation outcomes The results of the GEE analysis comparing racial groups on smoking cessation showed that the treatment by race interaction was significant. White smokers who received the intervention had overall higher quit rates than did Black participants (e.g., 30% vs. 24% abstinent at 6 weeks; 13% vs. 10% abstinent at 12 months; see Table 3 and Figure 2). Table 3.

GEE test of model effects with smoking cessation as outcome variable and treatment group, race, and time as explanatory variables (N = 471) Figure 2. Quit rates by race across time and treatment condition (N = 471). WT, white treatment; BT, black treatment; WC, white control; BC, black control; WK, week; EOT, end of treatment; MO, month. Age, education, average number of cigarettes per day, change … A second GEE model was calculated to determine if differences in baseline characteristics between White and Black smokers could account for the relationship between race and smoking cessation treatment outcomes. Based on previous findings that suggest that race may be a proxy for other differences in smoking characteristics (e.g.

, menthol smoking; Gardiner, 2004) and differences in baseline characteristics between White and Black participants in this sample (e.g., younger Black smokers), mentholated smoking (yes/no) was entered into the model and age, education, average number of cigarettes per day, change in smoking behavior since coming to prison, and prior mental health treatment were added as covariates. Only participants who entered the active treatment arm of the study were examined in the model. Overall, the results were similar to the original model and supported the differences in response to treatment between racial groups across time. The interaction between race and smoking menthol cigarettes was not significant, nor was there a main effect for smoking menthol cigarettes (Table 4), even when controlling for covariates.

White smokers, on average, had higher quit rates, regardless of menthol cigarette preference, compared with Black smokers (Figure 3). Table 4. GEE test of model effects with smoking cessation as the outcome variable GSK-3 and race, menthol smoking, and time as explanatory variables (N = 233) Figure 3. Quit rates among treated smokers by race across time and menthol use, controlling for age and average number of cigarettes per day (N = 233).