Multi-Cultural Tobacco Media and Community Control Studies in Texas

Each year, as more than 26,000 Texans die of tobacco use and the state’s economy suffers a $4.9 billion hit in tobacco-related health care costs and loss of productivity, 118,000 packs of cigarettes find their way into the hands of minors who can’t even legally possess them. So the four-year Multi-Cultural Tobacco Media and Community Control Studies in Texas project sought to investigate and evaluate processes and effects of regional and state-level media and community and policy activities to reduce smoking, especially among youths. The project aimed to: 1) train students to discuss tobacco cessation messages and promote participation in the International Quit & Win Contest, sponsored by the World Health Organization; 2) design, deliver and evaluate the effects of a brief training program to empower students to take action regarding their tobacco use rates; 3) survey Texas primary care physicians to assess their tobacco-related practices and attitudes; and 4) design and evaluate a tobacco prevention and control training program for medical students.

Grant

R01 CA86295-04 2000-04

Principle Investigators

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH IHPR, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (at Baylor College of Medicine for this project)

Collaborations

Baylor College of Medicine Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston Texas Department of Health

Location

Texas

Conclusions

Armed with the potential to decrease the prevalence of smoking among middle- and high-school students using peer networking, media, health education, and other preventative measures, the project had these results for these groups:

Administrative
Conducted regular site meetings with project staff, contractors and community support personnel
Middle schools
Led the development of the May 2003 Tobacco Survey instrument
Developed materials for advocacy and implemented in schools
Participated in program description and progress reporting
High Schools
Led the development of the May 2003 Tobacco Survey instrument
Delivered advocacy sub-component to schools and assisted in program description and progress reporting
Healthcare Providers
Helped develop survey instrument for health care providers and students
Led development of the May 2003 physician survey
Helped develop and deliver advocacy seminars for health career students
Legislative
Developed advocacy training for secondary- and medical-school students in keeping with the overall goals of the legislative policy study
Coordinated learning experiences for empowerment training group

Publications

Ramirez, AG, Velez, LF, Chalela, P, Grussendorf, J, & McAlister, AL. 2006. Tobacco Control Policy Advocacy Attitudes and Self-Efficacy among Ethnically Diverse High School Students. Health Education & Behavior, 33(4), 502-514.