Butt Out: Quitting Tobacco Use Dependence Initiative

Butt Out: Quitting Tobacco Salvation Army (SA), located in Hyattsville, Maryland, house 175 ethnic/racial diverse, multi-cultural, impoverish, non/underserved, men annually, ages 21-65 that are disproportionately unhealthy. According to completed health impact assessment: 89% smoke rate, 52% does not participate in any physical activity, 47% are obese, 15% diabetics; 31% hypertensive; 5% prostate challenges; 4% cardiovascular disease and 65% are suffer mild-severe depression.

To meet the unmet health needs of the men at SA, Butt Out: Quitting Tobacco program developed, implemented and evaluated a comprehensive health and wellness agenda to include: access to healthcare; standards in healthy lifestyle guidelines and policy; and integrated best practice models in its tobacco use dependence train-the-trainer curriculum.

Objective: Decrease the impact of socioeconomic inequities in health among 300 or more, non/underserved unhealthy men in an effort to promote healthy lifestyle, smoke-free living and improved health outcomes by planning, implementing, evaluating a series of comprehensive train-the-trainer health and wellness services, referrals and resources. This eight week innovative mandated intensive quitting tobacco use dependence activities include: • healthy lifestyle and life course trainings, • coaching (group, individual), • progressive relaxation, • inspirational messages, • screenings- CO2 testing, blood pressure, weight management, stages-of-change assessment. 2011 documented results: • 68 smokers - 33% are smoke-free over a 9 month period. • 75% received access to health care. • 100% participated in job readiness training. • 47% increase in daily physical activity.

Performance measures: Pre/post test, attendance sheets, check-list, focus-groups, interviews, surveys, surveillance and daily screening data.