Tobacco control strategies for Mississippians with disabilities

Problem/Objective: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the smoking prevalence among people with disabilities in the U.S. as almost 50% higher for people with disabilities than people without disabilities (2007). To address this disparity, the CDC recommends “promot[ing] health systems changes that reduce barriers limiting the ability of these people to access and use preventative health care.” The Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) at the Mississippi State Department of Health has partnered with the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) to identify and address the problems through the “Tobacco Control Strategies for Mississippians with Disabilities” project funded by OTC. Methods: Phase I of the project includes researching the prevalence of smoking by people with disabilities in Mississippi using primary and secondary data through qualitative and quantitative studies. Phase I identifies the top reasons for initiating tobacco use, and the major barriers for quitting smoking among people with disabilities. Phase II will focus on developing a tobacco cessation program and strategies for the population using the findings and the timeline from the Phase I. Results/Conclusions: Research in Phase I showed that in Mississippi, the prevalence of smoking by people with disabilities is approximately 30%, compared to 23.1% by people without disabilities. The preliminary findings are being gathered from six focus groups from different regions across the state, a 200-person survey and 15 personal interviews with tobacco intervention specialists. The project is ongoing. Final results will be concluded by the end of the fiscal year 2014.