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

Abstract #70829

Eliza Sutton, MPH¹, Dawn Dickerson, MPH², Destiny Q. Ramjohn, BA³, J. Moon-Howard, DrPH⁴, Marianne Sullivan, MPH¹, Courtney A. Bennett, BS⁵, and Nancy L. VanDevanter, DrPH⁶. (1) Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., Center for Applied Public Health, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-4104, es2088@columbia.edu, (2) Dept of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168 St., New York, NY 10032, (3) Mailman School of Public Health, Center for Applied Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., Suite 1040, New York, ND 10032, (4) Division of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, 600 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, (5) Community and Government Relations, New York City Mission Society, 105 E. 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010, (6) Center for Applied Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10032

Background: Columbia University and Harlem Community Action Board's academic-community partnership is conducting adult focus groups in order to identify contextual factors that contribute to tobacco use in Harlem. The findings of these groups will be used to inform the partnership in developing and implementing tobacco control interventions. This presentation will focus on the participatory process used to develop and implement twelve adult focus groups to understand behaviors, attitudes, knowledge, effects of increased taxation, attitudes toward tobacco advertising, and community residents' ideas regarding cessation and prevention. Method: The focus group guide was developed based on community input gathered from key informant interviews and CAB members. A broad representation of the Harlem community will be participating in the focus groups. The groups will be stratified by age, gender, and smoking/non-smoking status. The CAB will orchestrate the recruitment, locate sites for the groups to be held, review findings, assist with data interpretation, and disseminate findings. Preliminary findings related to these areas will be presented. Conclusions: The data from this research will be used to inform the development of tobacco control interventions.

Learning Objectives:

1.Recognize the importance of involving the community in planning, designing, and implementing community assessment for tobacco control.
• Describe model for involving community in community assessment.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Tobacco Control

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.