Learning Objectives: Understand the utility of a panel tobacco user survey to evaluate the impact of community based tobacco control programs on tobacco users knowledge of and access to community-based tobacco cessation programs; effectiveness of health professionals to intervene with tobacco users; impact of media and marketing campaigns on specific target populations; and capacity to motivate tobacco users to reduce smoking behavior
Abstract: Objective: To describe the effectiveness of a Panel Tobacco User Survey (PTUS) to evaluate community-based tobacco control strategies on adult smoking behavior, knowledge, and receipt of health professional interventions.
Methods: The PTUS was administered to convenience sample of 77 smokers in a rural community at two time points: baseline and 90 days post baseline. The 15-minute interview assessed the impact of tobacco control services on knowledge, opinion, behaviors, and the extent to which healtcare professionals intervened with tobacco users. The interviewer provided a brief 5-minute tobacco intervention to all survey respondents.
Results: Participants were 44 (sd=10) years of age and smoked an average of 22.9 (sd=12.1) years. At baseline, 35(45.5%)reported advice from a health care professional to quit smoking. Only 19 (24.7%) were aware of the statewide quitline program and only 20.8% knew about local cessation services. Signicant differences were found within subjects across follow-up points. Only 5 (6.5%) at baseline vs. 20 (26%) at follow-up reported a quit attempt (chi-square 5.82, df=1, p<.05). The average number of cigarettes smoked per day also changed from baseline to follow-up (17.51 vs. 12.57; t=4.2.7, df=73, p<.01). At follow-up 8 (10.4%) of the sample had reported no tobacco use in the past 30 days. No statistical differences were observed in physician referral, quitline or community cessation programs.
Conclusions: Implementation of the PTUS is an effective strategy to monitor impact of tobacco control services with tobacco users. Overall, the PTUS was found to be a cost- effective strategy to intervene with tobacco users toward reducing tobacco consumption.
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