Helping women quit smoking: results of a community intervention program

Am J Public Health. 2000 Jun;90(6):940-6. doi: 10.2105/ajph.90.6.940.

Abstract

Objectives: This intervention was implemented to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among women.

Methods: We used community organization approaches to create coalitions and task forces to develop and implement a multicomponent intervention in 2 counties in Vermont and New Hampshire, with a special focus on providing support to help women quit smoking. Evaluation was by pre-intervention and post-intervention random-digit-dialed telephone surveys in the intervention counties and the 2 matched comparison counties.

Results: In the intervention counties, compared with the comparison counties, the odds of a woman being a smoker after 4 years of program activities were 0.88 (95% confidence interval = 0.78, 1.00) (P = .02, 1-tailed); women smokers' perceptions of community norms about women smoking were significantly more negative (P = .002, 1-tailed); and the quit rate in the past 5 years was significantly greater (25.4% vs 21.4%; P = .02, 1-tailed). Quit rates were significantly higher in the intervention counties among younger women (aged 18 to 44 years); among women with household annual incomes of $25,000 or less; and among heavier smokers (those who smoked 25 or more cigarettes daily).

Conclusions: In these rural counties, community participation in planning and implementing interventions was accompanied by favorable changes in women's smoking behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Community Networks / organization & administration*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Health Behavior*
  • Health Education / methods
  • Humans
  • Income
  • Middle Aged
  • New Hampshire / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Rural Population
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Smoking Cessation / methods*
  • Smoking Cessation / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Support
  • Vermont / epidemiology