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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Katherine Madden, MPH1, Leann Myers, PhD2, Larry S. Webber, PhD2, Carolyn C. Johnson, PhD1, Neil W. Boris, MD1, Jocelyn A. Andrel, MSPH1, and Tori Harris, MPH1. (1) Community Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., 23rd Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112, (2) Biostatistics, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, 20th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112
An objective of ACTT is promotion of schools toward a no-tobacco policy. To approach principals, data were required for teacher/staff smoking and attitudes toward such a policy. Teachers and staff (n-986) from 19 schools in Acadiana were surveyed. The teacher/staff sample was predominantly female (64%) and white (79%). Majority were <45 years old with a mean of 15(± 10.3) years teaching experience. Smoking prevalence was 13% with female rates higher than males (15.2% vs. 9.3%, p=0.01). Almost half of current smokers (47.5%) smoked on campus and on-campus smoking did not differ by school policy. Of those who smoked on campus, 96.4% smoked in designated areas or during the school day (94%); 90% did both. Many teachers (25.3%) did not know their school's current smoking policy, regardless of smoking history or what the policy was. Most nonsmoking teachers supported a no-tobacco policy (75.1%), while fewer teachers who smoked did (31.4%). These data indicate a need for educating teachers and staff about smoking at school and the need for offering cessation services, perhaps in a school-based format.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescents, Health Education Strategies
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.