3087.0: Monday, October 22, 2001 - 3:25 PM

Abstract #31733

Meeting the challenges of tobacco control evaluation: Initial findings from ASSIST

Anne Hartman, MS, Risk Factor Monitoring Branch, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd, EPN 4005, Rockville, MD 20852, 301 496 4970, Anne_Hartman@nih.gov, Barry I. Graubard, PhD, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7244, Executive Plaza South, Room 8024, Bethesda, MD 20892-7244, Frances A. Stillman, EdD, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room W 6027, baltimore, MD 21205, Elizabeth Gilpin, MS, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of California, San Diego Cancer Center, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0645, David M. Murray, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 202 Psychology Building, Memphis, TN 38152-3230, and James T. Gibson, Information Management Services, Inc, 12501 Prosperity Drive, Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20904.

The evaluation of the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) has provided an opportunity to generate valuable information about the impact of the first, federally funded multi-state tobacco control initiative. ASSIST interventions focused on reducing tobacco use through policy-based approaches to alter the social-political environment. The ASSIST evaluation has had to address numerous analytical challenges. This presentation will discuss these challenges along with initial findings. The findings from ASSIST will include: 1) relationship of ASSIST to smoking prevalence rates at the end of the project, adjusting for baseline values and other covariates, 2) the relationship of more upstream outcomes (tobacco control policy oriented initial outcomes index) to prevalence and consumption at the end of ASSIST, and 3) the relationship of various policy components to prevalence and consumption rates. In addition, we will discuss how these results are affected by changes in analytical approach (regression adjustment approach vs. a direct change method). The findings from ASSIST and the lessons learned from developing the measures and methods needed to understand a complex endeavor such as state-level tobacco control initiatives, will benefit future tobacco control evaluation efforts.

Learning Objectives: See abstract

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Federal government employee

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA