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

Abstract #65456

Greg Talavera, MD, MPH, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego State Univeristy, 9245 Sky Park Court, Ste. 220, San Diego, CA 92123, (619) 594-4086, gtalaver@mail.sdsu.edu

The study recruited Spanish-speaking Latino smokers living in San Diego County. Smokers were randomized into either an intensive group or a comparison group. The first group received a culturally sensitive program that promoted smoking cessation and maintenance. The intensive group received a 4-month smoking cessation program delivered in the home by community health advisors. The comparison group were referred to the Spanish-language California Smoker’s Helpline. A total of 312 study participants were recruited. Demographic data on the 312 enrolled participants indicate that the majority were born in Mexico, about half are women, the average age is 43 years. In terms of smoking characteristics at entry into the study, the average age of initiation was 16 years, 90% consider themselves daily smokers consuming an average of 11-15 cigarettes per day, and 81% have tried to quit in the past. The intensive group achieved had more quitters than the comparison group after the program was over, this result was no longer present at the 12 month follow-up mark. A greater number of intensive group participants (16%) than comparison group participants (11%) continued to report that they had quit at 12-month follow-up. This difference did not, however, reach statistical significance.We also performed an analysis to identify significant predictors of past-week abstinence at 12 months after the intervention. The initial results show that gender, monthly income, whether participants were born and/or educated in Mexico, other acculturation factors, and whether anyone else in the household smokes did not predict past-week abstinence.

Learning Objectives:

• List the elements of a culturally sensitive smoking cessation program, describe the promotora model for smoking cessation

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Latino

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.