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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Deborah L. McLellan, MHS, Center for Community-Based Research, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Smith 2, Boston, MA 02115, 617-632-5723, deborah_mclellan@dfci.harvard.edu, Pebbles Fagan, PhD, MPH, Tobacco Control Research Branch, BRP, DCCPS, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd, EPN 4042, MSC 7337, Bethesda, MD 20892, Anna T. Levy, MS, Office of Science Planning and Assessment, OWH, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 205, Bethesda, MD 20892, Nancy J. Kaufman, RN, MS, Aurora Health Care, 3000 West Montana Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215, and Wanda K. Jones, Dr PH, Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave, SW, Rm 712E, Washington, DC 20201.

Little is known about the effects of tobacco control policies on low socioeconomic status (SES) women and girls. Low SES women have high rates of smoking, low quit rates, and are likely to suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related cancers. In September 2005, The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities with support from the National Cancer Institute, the American Legacy Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health sponsored a meeting addressing the effects of tobacco policies on low SES women and girls. This session 1) describes the need to examine tobacco policy effects on low SES women and girls, 2) presents synthesized results of nine papers reporting on sales/access restrictions, pricing, clean indoor air, media, and school policies, and systems approaches to policies, 3) articulates research priorities created by researchers and practitioners, and 4) delineates action steps to reduce smoking among low SES women and girls. Overall, results indicate that policy effects on tobacco use, quitting, and transitions to heavier smoking vary by policy, SES (i.e., occupation, educational attainment, poverty level), and demographic indicators (i.e., race/ethnicity, age), suggesting that policy effects are not equivalent across groups. Meeting participants recommended that we conduct studies to increase our understanding of the social context of low SES women's lives across the lifespan and compare the effects of home versus workplace policies on low SES women and girls. Furthermore, participants called for improvement of health disparities measures including SES, and translation and dissemination of research findings to advocacy groups.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will

• Describe the need to examine tobacco policy effects on low SES women and girls.
• Discuss and evaluate results of empirical papers reporting on policies.
• Articulate research priorities created by practioners and researchers. 4)Communicate action steps to reduce smoking among low SES women and girls.

Keywords: Smoking, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No