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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

David Hopkins, MD, MPH¹, Sima Razi, MPH², Kimberly D. Leeks, MPH³, and Robin E. Soler, PhD². (1) Guide to Community Preventive Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, 4770 Buford Hwy., Mailstop K-95, Atlanta, GA 30341, (2) Guide to Community Preventive Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy., Mailstop K-95, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-8214, auk3@cdc.gov, (3) Guide to Community Preventive Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy., Mailstop K95, Atlanta, GA 30341

In 2001, a systematic review for the Guide to Community Preventive Services identified strong evidence on effectiveness of smoking bans and restrictions in reducing exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. As follow-up to this review, we focused on the evidence on effectiveness of smoke-free policies in reducing tobacco use. Smoke-free policies implemented by worksites or communities prohibit smoking in workplaces and/or designated public areas. We modified the conceptual approach to this review, conducted an updated search for evidence, and reevaluated the available evidence. Peer-reviewed papers that met quality criteria and evaluated changes in tobacco use prevalence or cessation were included in the review. We identified a total of 55 published studies in the period 1976-June 2005, of which, 35 met study design and quality of execution criteria for inclusion in our final assessment. Nineteen studies measured absolute differences in tobacco use prevalence with a median decrease of 3.4 percentage points (interquartile range: -2.0 to –5.7 percentage points). Ten studies provided measurements of differences in tobacco use cessation among workers exposed to a smoke-free policy compared to workers not exposed to a smoke-free policy. The median absolute percent change was an increase of 6.4 percentage points (interquartile range: +1.3 to +6.9 percentage points). The qualifying studies provide sufficient evidence that smoke-free policies reduce tobacco use when implemented in worksites or by communities.

Learning Objectives: After the conclusion of this session participants will

• Understand general methods of the systematic review process
• Have knowledge of underlying factors associated with evidence-based decision making in the worksite
• Have a take-home examples of national evidence-based recommendations for the use of smoke-free policies to increase smoking cessation in the worksite.

Keywords: Evidence Based Practice, Tobacco

Related Web page: www.thecommunityguide.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered