Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking has declined in Western countries over the past few decades, a comparable decline among males has not been observed in Asian countries, especially in South Korea, where approximately 40%-50% of men and 4%-8% of women have been identified as smokers, and there is a pressing need to understand the background of cigarette smoking in these populations. The present study is a narrative review of the research literature on cigarette smoking in South Korea. First, we describe the social, economic, and cultural factors that impact cigarette smoking in South Korea. The paper also reviews the available peer-reviewed literature comprising observational studies and interventional studies, including randomized controlled trials. The extant literature on smoking in Korean Americans is also reviewed. Cigarette smoking in South Korea has been relatively understudied, and this review identifies priority areas for future research, including the use of mobile interventions.

Attentional bias can be assessed in the natural environment using EMA during smoking cessation, and attentional bias is a correlate of craving during the early stages of a quit attempt.

African American cigarette smokers have lower rates of cessation than Whites and live in communities with a higher number of tobacco advertisements. Exposure to smoking cues may promote smoking and undermine cessation. It may be possible to reduce attention to smoking cues (“attentional bias”). In this study, we investigated the effect of Attentional re-training (AR) on attentional bias and smoking in African-American smokers. Non-treatment seeking African American smokers (N = 64) were randomly assigned to an AR or Control condition. Participants were given a mobile device for 2 weeks and prompted to complete up to three AR (or control) trainings per day. Participants completed assessments of attentional bias, craving, and smoking both in the lab and in the field. Participants in the AR and Control conditions completed an average of 29.07 AR (SD = 12.48) and 30.61 control training tasks (SD = 13.07), respectively. AR reduced attentional bias assessed in the laboratory, F (1,126) = 9.20, p = .003, and field, F (1, 374) = 6.18, p = .01. This effect generalized to new stimuli, but not to new tasks. AR did not significantly reduce craving or biological measures of smoking. Smoking assessed on the mobile device declined over days in the AR group, F (1, 26) = 10.95, p = .003, but not in the Control group, F (1, 27) = 0.02, p = .89. Two weeks of AR administered on a mobile device reduced attentional bias in African American smokers and had mixed effects on smoking.

Hazardous alcohol use remains a significant global public health problem. A better understanding of relapse may assist the development of new interventions. Low levels of dispositional mindfulness may be a risk factor for craving and alcohol use, but few studies have examined these associations prospectively in an alcohol-dependent sample. In an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study, Dutch alcohol dependent patients (N ϭ 43) carried around a personal digital assistant for 4 weeks while trying to maintain abstinence. Participants completed assessments at random times 3 times per day, and when they felt a strong urge to drink or came to the brink of drinking without doing so. At each assessment, stress, negative affect, craving, recent drinking, and attentional or approach bias were assessed. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed at baseline with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). More mindful individuals (higher MAAS scores) reported lower craving than less mindful individuals. There was no evidence that stress, negative affect, attentional bias, or approach bias mediated the association between MAAS and craving. However, there was evidence for an indirect path from MAAS to drinking such that higher mindfulness was associated with lower craving ratings that in turn were associated with less drinking. There was no evidence that MAAS significantly moderated associations between stress/negative affect/cognitive biases and craving, or between craving and drinking. In sum, more mindful recovering alcohol dependent patients reported lower craving ratings than less mindful patients, and this association appeared to be independent of stress/negative affect and cognitive biases.

Objective Physical activity is beneficial for cancer survivors but exercise participation is low in this population. It is therefore important to understand the psychological factors underlying exercise uptake so that more effective interventions can be developed. Social cognitive theory constructs such as outcome expectancies predict exercise behavior but self-report measures have several limitations. We examined the associations between implicit (automatic) cognitions and exercise behavior and self-efficacy in endometrial cancer survivors. Methods This was a longitudinal study to examine predictors of exercise behavior in female endometrial cancer survivors who all received an exercise intervention. Participants (N=100, mean age=57.0) completed questionnaires to assess “self-report” exercise-related measures (outcome expectancy, attitudes and identification with exercise) as well as reaction time tasks to assess “implicit” exercise cognitions (expectancy accessibility, implicit attitudes and implicit self-identification with exercise) at baseline and at 2, 4 and 6 months follow-up. Exercise behavior was measured using accelerometers and self-report. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models. Results Expectancy accessibility was associated with exercise duration independent of the corresponding self-report measure. Exercise implicit attitudes and self-identification were prospectively associated with exercise self-efficacy only after adjustment for the corresponding self-report measures and baseline self-efficacy. Self-report measures were also associated with study outcomes. Conclusions Both self-reported cognitions and implicit cognitions may be useful to identify individuals at risk of failing to exercise. Individuals so identified might be provided with a different or more intensive intervention. The data also suggest cognitive targets for intervention.