The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64216

Cheryl A. Ferguson, MPH¹, Barri B. Burrus, PhD², Kavita P. Ahluwalia, DDS, MPH³, Debra Klecan, PhD⁴, Lisa Gaarde Hartsock, MPH⁵, Melanie Mack, MSW⁶, Jodie Ruland, MDiv⁷, Paul Akmajian, MFA³, and Amber Rickert, MPH, MSW⁸. (1) Policy Matters, 1177 Laurel Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122, 505-856-1403, Cheryl@nmpolicymatters.com, (2) Research Triangle Institute, 380 West Avenue, Naples, FL 34108, (3) School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, Division of Community Health, 630 West 168 St, New York, NY 10032, (4) MPH First Health of the Carolinas, Inc., PO Box 3000, 155 Memorial Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374, (5) Community Health Services, FirstHealth of the Carolinas, 155 Memorial Dr, PO Box 3000, Pinehurst, NC 28374, (6) Ingham County Health Department, PO Box 30161, 5303 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48910, (7) Alameda Health Consortium, 7700 Edgewater Dr., Oakland, CA 94619, (8) School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Division of Community Health, Columbia University, 154 Haven Avenue, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10032

The American Legacy/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Voices Tobacco Initiative offers an innovative approach to address tobacco use in diverse communities. The Initiative, with 10 community-based sites across the country, supports efforts to improve access to tobacco-control programs for rural, urban, underinsured, underserved, and/or minority populations. Educating these populations about tobacco’s addictiveness, health effects, and social costs is a fundamental component of this national effort to reduce tobacco consumption. Funded programs include efforts to establish community-based cessation services and support groups, youth prevention efforts, and smoke-free environment education programs. The presentation will highlight some of the Initiative’s successes in prevention and cessation programs. The presenters will also discuss the challenges of delivering prevention and cessation services in different geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic settings. For example, although urban populations are generally exposed to numerous anti-tobacco messages, they are also subject to intensive tobacco marketing. In rural communities, residents live in more sparsely populated areas but may be exposed to different social triggers. The need to tailor programs for particular populations as well as the strengths and weaknesses of these different community-based approaches will also be discussed. In addition to emphasizing creating culturally relevant and appropriate programs, the presentation will focus on efforts to change social, organizational, and political systems to create sustainable tobacco-free environments.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• 1.Identify three successful practices in tobacco-use prevention and cessation in underserved and/or minority communities.
• 2.Recognize the challenges of delivering tobacco-use prevention and cessation services in rural and urban settings.
• 3.Discuss strengths and weaknesses of different community-based tobacco-use prevention and cessation program for underserved populations.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Underserved Populations

Related Web page: www.legacycv.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: American Legacy Foundation Kellogg Foundation
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.