Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113480

Douglas Luke, PhD and Nancy Mueller, MPH. School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-8108, dluke@slu.edu

Current tobacco control program evaluation typically focuses on "counting" activities. For example, programs are evaluated based on the amount of funding, numbers and types of prevention activities, and number of counter-marketing advertisement spots aired. This type of evaluation ignores the fact that local and state-level tobacco control programs are usually complex systems of agencies, organizations, and persons who coordinate activities to achieve a common goal of reducing the health burden of smoking and tobacco use. Network analysis is a useful tool for describing the complexity of these tobacco control program systems. In this talk we will present network analysis data from two multi-state process evaluation studies of comprehensive tobacco control programs conducted from 2002 through 2004. During these studies, each of 18 states defined their own core network of critical tobacco control partner agencies. Four primary pieces of relational network information were collected: 1) funding relations among partners; 2) contact frequency; 3) degree of cooperation; and 4) perceived importance of network partners in achieving the state's tobacco control goals. Results will be presented on the similarities and dissimilarities of the tobacco control networks across states. Also, evidence will be presented that state political and economic climates are related to different types of communication structures within state tobacco control programs. This approach of using network analysis for tobacco control evaluation is particularly important as states experience dramatic funding cuts in their tobacco programs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to

• Describe comprehensive state tobacco control programs as complex interorganizational systems.
• Recognize how network analysis can be used to map the relational structures and process in state programs.
• Understand the relationship of state financial and political climates to interorganizational communication patterns.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Network Analysis

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF grants from the American Legacy Foundation, CDC Foundation, and Chronic Disease Directors Association.