p-value 0.026 0.848 0.018 0.061 0.001 <0.001 2.88 3.61 3.98 3.97 3.36 3.73 3.54 3.81 3.79 3.32 3.74 3.96 3.54 3.04 3.77 4.04 3.32 4.35 3.47 3.91 1.89 1.78 1.68 1.56 1.86 1.75 1.77 1.81 1.83 1.52 1.85 1.57 1.87 1.83 1.79 1.59 1.79 1.56 1.80 1.73 p-value <0.001 0.039 0.285 <0.001 <0.001 0.006 0.87 1.26 1.61 1.78 1.23 1.42 1.31 1.32 1.66 1.08 1.47 1.48 1.36 1.28 1.25 1.61 0.98 2.28 1.30 1.49 Wilkinson et al. BMC Public Health 2012, 12:332 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/332 Page 7 of 11 Table 3 Means and standard deviations for sensation seeking subscales by demographic characteristics, acculturation, cigarette experimentation, and physical activity in Boys (n = 533) Thrill & Adventure Seeking Mean SD Social Disinhibition Mean SD Drug & Alcohol Attitudes Mean SD Age ≤13 14 15 ≥16 Country of Birth Parental Education Mexico US < HS HS > HS > 45,000 Missing Lowest Medium Highest No Yes No Yes Parental Income ($) < 24,999 25,000 to 44,999 Language Acculturation Cigarette Experimentation Physically Active 7.34 8.03 8.40 8.22 7.99 8.05 7.91 7.71 8.77 8.09 7.96 8.22 8.00 7.60 8.13 8.33 7.70 8.80 7.65 8.68 3.19 2.96 2.66 2.68 3.00 2.86 2.80 3.29 2.79 2.85 2.97 2.88 2.88 2.97 2.99 2.66 2.98 2.56 3.00 2.60 1.31 1.53 1.75 1.76 1.43 1.78 1.58 1.62 1.77 1.41 1.65 1.64 1.62 1.52 1.56 1.77 1.35 1.82 1.62 1.63 p-value 0.001 0.227 0.158 0.078 <0.001 0.184 33.1% of Hispanic high school students reported engaging in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on at least five days a week [27]. We note that the prevalence rate of ever smoking cigarettes in our sample is somewhat lower than among Hispanics nationwide, while the prevalence of those who engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on at least five days a week is comparable to Hispanics nation- wide. That said, it is important to note that national data are for Hispanics overall, while our data focus on a sub- group of Hispanics, which might account for differences in reported rates of ever smoking cigarettes. Overall, a higher proportion of boys have experimented with cigarettes and are physically active for 60 minutes or more on five days or more a week compared to girls. Thus our findings underscore the continued need to develop interventions designed to deter Mexican origin youth, especially boys, from trying cigarettes and from adopting sedentary lifestyles. In addition, boys report higher levels of sensation seeking tendencies than girls for all three subscales. Among girls, as linguistic acculturation increased, sensation seeking tendencies also increased. Among boys, linguistic acculturation was related to social disinhibition only; the most acculturated boys reported being the least inhibited. Contrary to our first hypothesis, participants who experiment with cigarettes or who meet physical activity recommendations are not more acculturated than their peers who have not experimented or who are less active. This was the case overall and when examined separately by gender (data not shown). However, consistent with our second hypothesis, the gender disparity in experi- mentation with cigarettes and engagement in physical activity declined as acculturation increased. Among the most acculturated, the odds of experimenting with