Restoring health: A new approach to tobacco cessation in an urban health center

Individuals face many challenges when trying to quit smoking. Smokers build their lifestyle around smoking; hence quitting is a threat to their daily routines and social networks. The ‘Stay Quit, Get Fit' program, funded through the American Legacy Foundation, brings a multi-faceted approach to low income African Americans trying to reduce or quit smoking. We hypothesize three elements make the program effective:

• Building new relationships around positive behaviors and peer support,

• Directly demonstrating how health status improves when tobacco use is reduced, and

• Providing participants with tangible signs of progress and reinforcement over time.

‘Stay Quit, Get Fit' incorporates group cessation counseling with group exercise. Participants build relationships with others trying to quit and develop exercise 'buddies'. The program is at a primary care health center where participants' health measures are taken repeatedly, providing feedback on the impact of tobacco on participant health, including lung volume, blood pressure, BMI and fitness level. As patients at the center, program participation and health measurements become part of the participants' electronic health record. Health care providers reinforce cessation messages every time they are seen. Many patients have chronic diseases exacerbated by tobacco use and are connected to care. When participants see their health improve through reduced tobacco use, their choice to quit or cut back is reinforced.

This presentation will provide evaluation results from a year of ‘Stay Quit, Get Fit' classes, including quit rates, changes in health measures and overall findings. Presenters will consider implications for tobacco cessation approaches.