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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Donna Vallone, PhD, MPH¹, Mary Northridge, PhD, MPH², Molly Green, MPH¹, Jennifer Duke, PhD¹, Barri Burrus, PhD³, Lisa Hund, MPH⁴, and Kimberly Madsen⁴. (1) American Legacy Foundation, 2030 M Street, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, 2024545555, mgreen@americanlegacy.org, (2) Sociomedial Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, 722 W 168th St., MSPH SMS Room 1123.6, New York, NY 10032, (3) RTI International, 380 West Avenue, Naples, FL 34108, (4) Center for Health Promotion Research, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Methods: Data were collected from 725 participants enrolled in any of the 11 West Virginia Community Voices tobacco cessation programs between January 2002 and June 2005 and analyzed to assess sociodemographic differences in rates of quit smoking success. Quit success by tobacco history and program components and outcomes was also analyzed. Results: The program population is rural, predominantly white, low-income, and high school or GED-educated. In addition, nearly half do not have health insurance. Interestingly, rates of quit success were highest among the least represented groups. African Americans (81%), those with at least a college degree (74%), and those earning above $20,000 a year (73%) had higher quit success rates than their counterparts. Those without health insurance had similar quit rates to those with health insurance. Overall, the program was effective for many of its participants, with 38% reporting success at six months post-program. Conclusions: African Americans and those with high levels of education and income had the highest rates of quit success. The reason for the success of the program among African Americans can be linked to the provider sites serving this group using trained community facilitators and allowing them to actively participate in the process. Overall, this West Virginia project was able to demonstrate that among a population with many barriers to successful quitting, a carefully adapted program sensitive to the needs of its heterogeneous smokers can be highly successful. Lessons gathered from this program and their applicability to the larger national population of smokers will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will understand of the differential impact of providing tobacco cessation services in a disadvantaged rural community as well as potential policy implications. Attendees will also be able to discuss successes and challenges of the program.

Keywords: Rural Communities,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered