Multicultural Network (MCN) Smoke Free Home Pledge

Minority Americans suffer from health disparities, which include heart and lung disease (Centers for Disease Control, 2004). These disparities show a need for culturally sensitive health approaches to policy and education. Five agencies representing the following minority groups: Asian American, African American, Arab and Caldean American, and Latino American formed the Multicultural Network (MCN) to collectively address tobacco prevention. A Smoke-Free Home Pledge was designed by MCN to test a culturally sensitive model. The project provided knowledge of second hand smoke with an objective of a smoke free home. A pledge card enabled the family to request the smoker to smoke outside of the home. The target were minority populations MCN represent in Michigan. A purposive sampling was used to recruit twenty smokers from each ethnic group. Focus groups were pretested, provided education, post-tested, with a three-month follow-up measuring the outcome of a pledge for a smoke free home. The educational sessions were designed with cultural sensitivity to reach these populations effectively. Both quantitative and qualitative results, with a focus on smoking behavior change, were analyzed. Cultural strengths and barriers to a smoke free home were identified. Culturally sensitive ways to help the families create a smoke-free home, as well as how MCN can assist, were discussed. Themes were identified: types of cessation services, behavior change, skills learned, knowledge gained, attitude changes, values appreciated, and cultural assets developed. Conclusion points to empowering the family to achieve a smoke-free home. Implications for education, cultural sensitivity, and public health policy are presented.