Smoking Discrimination Moderates the Relationship between Smoking Stigma and Cigarettes Per Day among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals

Qualtrics Panels. Participants were primarily White and bisexual. Participants completed a battery of questions, including measures regarding smoking frequency (operationalized in this article as cigarettes per day [CPD]), smoking felt-stigma, smoking self-stigma, and smoking discrimination. Moderation analyses revealed significant interactions of felt- and self-stigma with smoking-related discrimination. For individuals who perceived higher levels of both self- and felt-stigma, experiencing increased smoking discrimination was associated with increased smoking frequency. However, there was no significant interaction with discrimination for individuals who had lower levels of felt- and self-stigma. Results have implications for smoking reduction and cessation. Helping individuals who have higher levels of felt- and self-stigma manage stress related to being stigmatized may motivate individuals to reduce smoking. Ultimately, these findings can play a role in crafting smoking reduction and cessation programs targeted toward SGM communities, particularly individuals who experience high levels of smoking-related stigma.