Related Experiment Videos
Smoking cessation in Texas-Mexico border communities: a quasi-experimental panel study
A L McAlister1, A G Ramirez, C Amezcua
1South Texas Health Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
American Journal of Health Promotion : AJHP
|February 8, 1992
Summary
Community-wide smoking cessation programs on the U.S.-Mexico border showed a verified quit rate of 8%. These results suggest community-wide interventions may be as effective as intensive approaches for smoking cessation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Behavior
- Tobacco Control
Background:
- Smoking-related diseases are a significant health issue along the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Limited understanding exists regarding effective smoking cessation methods for low-income populations in this region.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of combined media campaigns and interpersonal communication for smoking cessation.
- To compare smoking cessation rates in a community-wide intervention versus a control group.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental design was employed in a U.S. border city and a Mexican city.
- Moderate to heavy smokers were followed in four groups over five years.
- Interventions included media campaigns and intensive/community-wide interpersonal communication.
Main Results:
- Verified smoking cessation rates were 8% in the program community and 1.5% in the comparison community.
- Self-reported cessation rates were 17% and 7%, respectively.
- No significant difference in cessation was found between community-wide programs and personal counseling within the program community.
Conclusions:
- Community-wide programs achieved approximately an 8% verified effect size for smoking cessation.
- The observed effects were smaller than anticipated but comparable to more intensive methods.
- Further research with increased statistical power is needed to confirm these findings.