Engaging African Americans in Smoking Cessation Programs

Abstract

Background: African Americans are disproportionately exposed to and targeted by prosmoking advertisements, particularly menthol cigarette ads. Though African Americans begin smoking later than whites, they are less likely to quit smoking than whites. Purpose: This study was designed to explore African American smoking cessation attitudes, behaviors, and resources to gain insights on how to enhance the appeal of smoking cessation interventions in African American communities. Methods: Ten focus groups were conducted with urban, suburban, and rural African American adult smokers and ex-smokers in Maryland who also completed brief questionnaires. Results: Although knowledge of negative health effects of smoking and motivation for smoking cessation were high, participants lacked confidence in their ability to quit successfully and were poorly informed about resources and programs for smoking cessation. Discussion and Translation to Health Education Practice: Findings from this study suggest that cultural tailoring, neighborhood focus, and strong marketing may enhance the appeal of smoking cessation programs to African American smokers. Programs also may be more attractive if they use respected nonsmoking role models and peer support.

Stress and Achievement of Cardiovascular Health Metrics: The American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 in Blacks of the Jackson Heart Study

“…Our analyses have both clinical and policy implications. Our findings support, at a minimum, the recognition of and screening for psychosocial stress by clinicians to develop more effective, culturally sensitive lifestyle‐management plans, viewed from the social construct lens of this population, to mitigate CVH disparities . To shift the CVH of blacks toward the AHA 2020 goals, interventions endorsing positive psychological well‐being (eg, positive emotions and appraisal, social support, and active coping) are warranted to address modifiable barriers to CVH …”

“…Viewed from a contrasting perspective, better ideal CVH is associated with decreased psychological distress and positive mental health outcomes; thus, these approaches seem harmonious for patients and may enhance adherence to recommended therapies . Clinical and public health practitioners can have a crucial role in identifying community‐based resources for health promotion, which are not always readily apparent to disadvantaged groups, although doing so is beyond the realm of traditional clinical practice . Finally, community‐level programs and policies to counteract or prevent some of the root causes of psychosocial stressors (eg, lack of educational and employment opportunities, unsafe neighborhoods, and institutional racism) are essential to achieving ideal CVH in racial/ethnic minority groups.…”

“…Our findings support, at a minimum, the recognition of and screening for psychosocial stress by clinicians to develop more effective, culturally sensitive lifestyle-management plans, viewed from the social construct lens of this population, to mitigate CVH disparities. 62,63 To shift the CVH of blacks toward the AHA 2020 goals, interventions endorsing positive psychological well-being (eg, positive emotions and appraisal, social support, and active coping) are warranted to address modifiable barriers to CVH. 10,[64][65][66][67] Practical approaches, including psychosocial interventions incorporating mindfulness, optimism, and resiliency for stress reduction and promotion of healthy behavior in a culturally informed manner, are paramount to producing CVH benefits to at-risk subgroups.…”

Improving participants' retention in a smoking cessation intervention using a community-based participatory research approach

“…[ 23 ] Historically, it has been difficult to recruit and retain African Americans and members of other minority groups in research studies. [ 24 ] Guidance from the CEASE CAB is also very valuable in adjusting the intervention to increase outreach and recruitment of those most in need of smoking cessation assistance, as well as improving the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the intervention.…”

Examining Smoking Cessation in a Community-Based Versus Clinic-Based Intervention Using Community-Based Participatory Research

“…In their qualitative study, Wallen et al solicited suggestions from smokers for designing cessation interventions that focused largely on the principles of community-based interventions. 14 In a randomized trial, Spencer et al showed how community health workers supported and educated African American and Latino adults in the community to achieve improvement in Hemoglobin A1c values (an indicator of diabetes control). 15 These studies and others show that participants are more comfortable in familiar community settings where they can access the intervention more easily, feel more involved in decision-making and are better able to establish trust with the researchers.…”