Targeting adult smokers through a multi-ethnic public school system

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Underserved urban communities often lack access to preventive health services.
• School-based interventions can bridge gaps in healthcare accessibility.
• Smoking cessation remains a critical public health challenge, particularly in low-to-middle income populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored, school-based preventive health program.
• To assess smoking cessation outcomes in a multi-ethnic, low-to-middle income urban community.
• To explore the role of schools in delivering health interventions to underserved populations.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial enrolled 446 adults in a preventive health program.
• The program included health screening and a smoking-cessation intervention.
• Data were collected via interviews and rescreening at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Main Results:

• Self-reported ever-quit rates reached 57.5%.
• Continuous abstinence rates were 2.6% at 12 months.
• Point-prevalence abstinence rates were 13.2% (3 months), 12.9% (6 months), and 10.3% (12 months).

Conclusions:

• School-based strategies can effectively deliver preventive health programs in underserved communities.
• The intervention demonstrated positive outcomes for smoking cessation.
• Schools serve as a viable platform for increasing access to health programming.