Exploring tobacco control advocacy among Asian Pacific Islanders: using key informant interviews

The aim of this study was to examine and describe the types and level of tobacco control advocacy in which Asian Pacific Islander (API) community-based organizations were involved.

Key informant interviews with 57 API staff from 33 agencies in California were conducted in order to better understand the factors that promoted and prevented their tobacco control advocacy.

Only 26% of informants perceived their agencies were active in tobacco control advocacy. Thirty four percent (34%) described their involvements as "indirect," and 40% denied any involvement in tobacco control advocacy at all. When asked to describe the types of tobacco control activities in which they engaged, however, staff from thirty-one out of thirty-three agencies indicated that they had been involved in at least one tobacco policy activity in 1995, with 64% of agencies displaying high involvement in tobacco policy activities and only 32% displaying low involvement.

While active tobacco control advocacy is vital to the passage and enforcement of public health laws, staff at community-based organizations face many barriers to such work. Of particular concern are staff fears regarding restricting lobbying, as well as API community fears of talking to government policymakers. Implications for methodology, future research, and tobacco policy advocacy are discussed.