Barriers to blue collar worker utilization of employer sponsored smoking cessation programs

Few studies have examined how the intersect of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geography within the corporate or worksite setting influences quit rates and the participation of person with these multiple characteristics in cessation programs. African Americans in Kentucky have the second highest smoking rate compared to all other racial/ethnic groups. Kentucky, which is largely rural, has the highest rate of smoking and low rates of quitting compared to other states. Furthermore, studies show that blue-collar workers have higher smoking and lower quit rates compared to white collar workers. A critical question for the field is: How do we engage African-American blue-collar populations in smoking cessation programs and help them to quit smoking? The specific aims of the study presented here were to employ a social ecological approach and use participatory and qualitative research methods in a manufacturing company in rural Kentucky to: 1)identify multiple cultural nuances on employee participation in and development of cessation programs in a large manufacturing company in rural Kentucky; 2)assess the organizational and individual variables that influence the implementation and participation of blue-collar workers in a tobacco cessation program; and 3) examine the intersect of race, education, occupation and income on utilization and knowledge of smoking cessation methods among diverse populations within a worksite. Qualitative methods and the use of NVIVO7 software provided results that will help define the specific program mediated mechanism, modifying conditions and covariates that help to facilitate successful employee participation in a worksite smoking cessation program.