Peer mentoring for smoking cessation in public housing: A mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Community Health

Background:

• Tobacco use disproportionately impacts low-income African American communities.
• Recent public housing smoke-free policies increase demand for cessation services in these settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and potential impact of a peer-mentoring smoking cessation program.
• To assess the effectiveness of peer mentors in a public housing environment.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-method pilot study utilizing a quasi-experimental design.
• Three trained residents served as peer mentors, recruiting and supporting up to 10 smokers each for 12 weeks.
• Smoking status assessed via self-report and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) monitoring; Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) offered.

Main Results:

• Overall mean eCO levels significantly dropped from 26 ppm at baseline to 12 ppm at follow-up (P < 0.01).
• Participants in the peer-mentoring program were more likely to achieve non-smoking eCO levels (<7 ppm) at follow-up (23.3%) compared to the control group (14.3%).

Conclusions:

• The peer-mentoring program is feasible for low-income, predominantly African American communities.
• Peer-mentoring can be an effective approach for engaging hard-to-reach populations in smoking cessation.
• Further randomized trials are recommended to confirm the program's efficacy.