Active Head
Kelvin Choi, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Senior Investigator
Tobacco Related Disparities and Control Lab
Dr. Kelvin Choi staff profile | Lab members
Scientific Expertise
Social determinants of health, commercial determinants of health, commercial tobacco use disparities, public health policy
Research and Programmatic Interests
Commercial tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. While the prevalence of cigarette smoking has declined in the past few decades, such decline is not equal across social determinants of health; the prevalence of cigarette smoking varies greatly by race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, geographical region, and other social determinants of health. Additionally, the tobacco industry continues to leverage commercial determinants of health (e.g., product development, marketing, distribution) to target populations who are socially disadvantaged.
TRDC Lab aim to examine the interrelationship between social determinants of health and commercial tobacco use using a life course perspective, the influence of commercial determinants on the disparities in commercial tobacco use, and the impact of public health policies on these disparities.
Research Projects
Applying an Intersectional Perspective to Understand Tobacco Product Use Disparities
Intersectionality theory asserts that social identities and circumstances, such as race, ethnicity, nativity, sex and socioeconomic position, are interconnected and create overlapping and interdependent systems of dynamics resulting in persistent advantages and disadvantages in the society.
We apply this perspective to understand and identify the combinations of social identities and circumstances that result in high prevalence of tobacco product use, through the application of advanced statistical models and machine learning.
Using Population-Based Studies to Examine the Interplay Between Tobacco Product Marketing and Use Behaviors
The tobacco industry leverages commercial determinants of health to target individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged to promote tobacco product use, resulting in disproportionate burden of tobacco-related diseases in them.
Using population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, TRDC Lab examine how exposure to commercial determinants of health (e.g., tobacco product price discounting) differ by social identity and circumstances. TRDC Lab also assess how such disparities in exposure are related to disparities in tobacco product use behaviors.
Investigating the Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying the Relationships Between Social Determinants of Health, Commercial Determinants of Health, and Tobacco Product Use
Documenting the complex relationship between social and commercial determinants of health with tobacco product use is important. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these relationships provides a stronger scientific foundation to support public health actions and policies.
TRDC Lab use online and laboratory-based experiments (e.g., eye tracking, emotional coding, electroencephalography) to understand how tobacco marketing strategies influence perceptions and beliefs of—and intention to engage with—commercial tobacco use.
Forecasting and Evaluating Tobacco Control Interventions and Policies
Tobacco control interventions and policies at the local, state, and federal levels are effective tools to reduce tobacco product use. However, it is difficult to conduct field experiments to test the potential impact of these interventions and policies before implementing them.
TRDC Lab use computational simulation models to forecast the effect of tobacco control interventions and policies on tobacco product use behaviors and related disparities. Sometimes, these interventions and policies are adopted by different localities, states, and countries. This presents natural experiments that we leverage to understand how these interventions and policies may reduce commercial tobacco use disparities.
Kristen Hamilton-Moseley, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
Dr. Kristen Hamilton-Moseley staff profile
Research and Programmatic Interests
Dr. Hamilton-Moseley investigates mechanisms by which psychological, biological, and environmental factors influence alcohol and tobacco use and how these contribute to health disparities.
In addition to investigating the psychobiological mechanisms by which social determinants influence alcohol and tobacco-related health disparities, Dr. Hamilton-Moseley examines psychological harms associated with exposure to racial and ethnic discrimination.