In 1994, Arizona citizens passed Proposition 200 which increased tobacco taxes by 40 cents. The Arizona Department of Health Services, Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (TEPP) is responsible for administering the community-based local projects, statewide projects and media campaign. To establish baseline prevalence estimates among Arizona adults, the TEPP contracted with Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Public Health Statistics to conduct the Arizona Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS) in 1996 and 1999. In addition to establishing smoking prevalence, these surveys collected information on tobacco use history, knowledge, opinions and practices. The ATS used a computer-assisted telephone interview to query Arizona adults 18 years of age and older. The data was weighted by the number of adults in the household and the proportion of the adult population in the region sampled.
The respondents of these surveys indicated that both the medical and dental care providers asked their patients who were smokers about smoking more often in 1999 than 1996. Medical care providers discussed smoking with only 31% of their patients who were smokers in 1996 compared to 44% in 1999 (p<.001). Dentists discuss smoking with 14% in 1996 compared to 32% in 1999 (p<.001). When asked if the medical professional recommended that they quit smoking, just over 80% of the respondents in both reported that this recommendation had been made. Dentists were reported to have recommended that their patients quit smoking 72% of the time in 1996 compared to 79% of the time in 1999 (p=.23).
Learning Objectives: 1. Increased knowledge of comprehensive programs for tobacco control. 2. Knowledge of data sources and methods for program evaluation. 3. Effectiveness of tobacco control on health care provider practice patterns.
Keywords: Adult Health, Tobacco
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.