Yes, the Higgs boson does affect quarks. In the Standard Model of particle physics, which is the current theoretical framework describing the fundamental particles and their interactions, the Higgs boson plays a crucial role in giving mass to elementary particles.
According to the Higgs mechanism, the Higgs field permeates all of space. When particles interact with this field, they acquire mass. Quarks, being elementary particles, interact with the Higgs field and gain their mass through this interaction.
The strength of the interaction between the Higgs field and different types of particles determines their mass. Quarks have different masses depending on their flavor (up, down, strange, charm, top, bottom), and these mass differences arise due to their distinct interactions with the Higgs field.
The discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 confirmed the existence of the Higgs field and its associated particle. This discovery was a significant milestone in particle physics, as it provided experimental evidence for the mechanism responsible for mass generation in the Standard Model and furthered our understanding of the behavior of quarks and other elementary particles.