In the spring of 1999, the Mississippi State Department of Health contracted with the Social Science Research Center (SSRC) to conduct an evaluation of the Mississippi Tobacco Pilot Program. In order to monitor progress towards intermediate goals such as policy changes, changes in social norms, exposure of individuals to environmental tobacco smoke, and the impact of pro-tobacco influences, researchers at the SSRC developed a social organizational approach to monitor the social climate in which public health efforts take place. The survey identified normative beliefs about tobacco use, clean air practices, and health beliefs within important societal institutions, such as the household, education, work place, and recreational settings. Researchers at the SSRC administered the Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control a representative sample of MS adults in July of 1999 and in July of 2000. Comparisons revealed significant improvements in the social climate during the first year for the program. Normative beliefs, health beliefs, and individual clean air practices demonstrated remarkable improvement. However, community clean air practices have not improved.
See www.ssrc.msstate.edu/socialclimate
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the importance of intermediate goals in tobacco control programs - such as changes in the social climate, and the need to monitor progress towards these goals 2. Describe the improvements in Mississippi following the first year of the Mississippi Tobacco Pilot Program
Keywords: Tobacco Control, Evaluation
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