Community readiness for local smoke-free policy change
Nancy L York1, Ellen J Hahn, Mary Kay Rayens
1University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Nursing, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 453018, Las Vegas, NV 89154-3018, USA. nancy.york@unlv.edu
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to use the Community Readiness Model to examine local smoke-free policy development.
Design, Setting, And Subjects:
A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to assess 64 Kentucky communities. Dimensions of readiness included a community's knowledge of the problem and existing voluntary smoke-free policies; leadership for policy development; resources for policy development; climate surrounding policy development; existing voluntary policy efforts; and political climate for policy development. Dimension scores were summed to identify one of six overall readiness stages: (1) unawareness; (2) vague awareness; (3) preplanning; (4) preparation; (5) initiation; and (6) endorsement.
Analyses:
Correlations between dimensions and overall readiness scores were evaluated. One-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate regional trends, and multiple regression was used to assess the influence of sociodemographic/political variables on policy readiness.
Results:
The knowledge dimension rated highest, and community climate rated lowest. Most communities were in the lower stages of readiness. No relationship was found between overall readiness and region (F [4,59] = 1.17; p > .05); nor were there regional differences among dimension scores. Smaller communities were less ready for local policy development than larger ones (adjusted R2 = .25; p = .003).
Conclusions:
The Community Readiness Model is appropriate for understanding local policy development, and it provides advocates with information that may prove helpful in advancing smoke-free policy.
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