Learning Objectives: Identify and describe the factors of school-based health centers that increase the success of the implementation and delivery of tobacco cessation programs in high schools.
Abstract:
Problem/Objective:To identify and describe the factors of school-based health centers that increase the success of the implementation and delivery of tobacco cessation programs in high schools.
Methods: The CHATT (Computers Helping Adolescents Talk Tobacco), a computer-interactive cessation program, was implemented in six high schools, three in school-based health centers (SBHC) and the other three in counseling departments. Process evaluation was done to determine the impact of CHATT on schools’ tobacco policies, recruitment, referrals, attendance, and drop-out rates.
Results:The SBHC schools proved to be a dramatically better site for the implementation of CHATT. As a result of CHATT, the tobacco policy in all SBHC schools has improved and is implemented. At the non-SBHC schools, tobacco policy remains unchanged or slightly modified. At the SBHC schools staff see 2 to 8 students a week compared to 4 to 8 students a month at the non-SBHC schools. Additional beneficial factors of CHATT in SBHCs is the ability to take advantage of the SBHC scheduling systems, to increase the visibility of CHATT through clinic’s health fairs and education programs, and to provide confidentiality to the students.
Conclusions:This research has found that a cessation program delivered through a SBHC had a positive impact in the delivery and implementation of a cessation program and positively effected school-wide tobacco policy compared to the same cessation program offered in non-SBHC schools. During these difficult financial times it behooves stakeholders to implement cessation programs in SBHC where they will get the best return on their investment.
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