206462 Reducing second hand smoke: Focus group and community forum findings exploring motivating factors for youth tobacco debut and second hand smoke

Monday, November 9, 2009

Olugbemiga Tanilepada Ekundayo, MD, MPH, DrPH , Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Sridevi Alla, MBBS , STD/HIV Bureau, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, MS
Velesha P. Williams, MS , Mississippi Urban Research Center, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Vincent Mendy, MPH , Office of Health Disparity Elimination, MS State Department of Health, Jackson, MS
Mario J. Azevedo, PhD , Department of Epidemiology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore motivating factors for youth tobacco initiation and second hand smoke among youth in Hinds County of Mississippi using qualitative approaches.

Methods

Community fora and focus groups were organized in five districts of Hinds County, Mississippi, to engage the community in tobacco prevention discussions, action related to tobacco legislation, youth tobacco prevention (tobacco debut) and policy advocacy. Qualitative data were collected and subjected to thematic analysis.

Results

126 participants made 853 statements through the focus groups and community forums within a period of eight weeks. All focus groups indicated smoking in the home by a parent, peer pressure, school environment, and advertisements. Parents sometimes encouraged children to smoke by asking them to light their cigarettes or share the smoking with them. In relation to motivation to not smoke, family influences (especially parents), health effects to self and/or others, especially others who were ill from cancer, etc, unpleasantness of tobacco smoke and its smell were cited.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify motivating factors for youth tobacco initiation and second hand smoke. 2. Identify steps for engaging community in tobacco prevention discussions related to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) through legislation. 3. Describe the steps for thematic analyses of qualitative data from tobacco prevention community forums and focus groups 4. Describe the relationships between motivating factors for youth tobacco debut and second hand smoke

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Principal Investigator (Tobacco research for 4 years)
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Tobacco: Injury & harm, prevention & policy
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