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Black and Hispanic individuals in the US experience more socioeconomic adversities that are associated with disparities in tobacco use and cessation than White individuals. This study examined if racial/ethnic differences in smoking abstinence were mediated by socioeconomic (SES) adversities.

Data from 7,101 established smokers were identified in Wave 1 (2013–2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) and followed to Wave 4 (2016–2018). The study outcome was cigarette abstinence at Wave 4. The main independent variable was race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White [White], Non-Hispanic Black [Black] and Hispanic). The mediators were five measures of SES adversities (unemployment, poverty, difficulty with money, lower education level, lack of health insurance). A weighted Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) was used to estimate the total, direct …