A Community-Based Participatory Research on Smoking Cessation Intervention for Urban Communities

Building the African American/Black Community's Capacity to Elucidate Factors for High Smoking Rates in Jackson, MS: Results from Implementing a Community-Led Needs Assessment

INTRODUCTION

Although smoking has decreased dramatically over the last 50 years, reductions are uneven by race and income, specifically in the Southern United States. There is a need for intentional collaboration with communities located where large tobacco disparities exist to make lasting change. Using community-based participatory research principles, we provided intensive capacity building to a community advisory group (CAG) of 14 Jackson, MS, residents to conduct a community-led needs assessment. The aim of the community-led needs assessment was to investigate firsthand why the community smokes and the impacts of smoking-giving the CAG voice and choice to work towards reducing tobacco-related harms and inequities.

METHODS

From October 2020 to September 2021, CAG members conducted thirteen interviews and nine focus groups, reaching 54 residents. We analyzed the data using a thematic and in vivo approach.

RESULTS

Participants reported smoking is used to cope with systemic socio-economic issues (e.g., racism, poverty). Smoking is normalized in the community through continued use, ease of purchase, visibility of tobacco retailers, and lack of conversations or questioning surrounding smoking. Participants felt that peer and family use, addiction, and inaccessible smoking resources were the most influential factors driving smoking behaviors.

CONCLUSION

This community engagement approach empowered residents to design and implement a comprehensive needs assessment resulting in rich data-a needed approach for a community experiencing enduring health inequities. Communities need to be engaged and invested in from the beginning as equal partners to learn, investigate, and develop community-relevant and innovative solutions to address tobacco social norms.

Black Americans' Diminished Return of Educational Attainment on Tobacco Use in Baltimore City

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as educational attainment are fundamental factors affecting health. One mechanism through which education affects health is by reducing the likelihood of engaging in high-risk behaviors such as smoking. However, according to the marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) theory, the association between education and health may be weaker for marginalized populations such as Black than White, primarily due to racism and discrimination. However, little is known about the racial variations in the differential associations between educational attainment and tobacco use in a local setting.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the differential association between educational attainment and tobacco use among racial groups in a community sample in Baltimore City.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from a community survey conducted in 2012-2013 in Baltimore City among adults aged 18 years or older. The participants were 3501 adults. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata to investigate the racial difference in the association between education and two outcomes: current smoking status and menthol tobacco product use.

RESULTS

The study found that adults with a graduate degree were less likely to be current smokers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-0.13) and menthol tobacco users (AOR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.07-0.14) compared to those with less than high school diploma. The inverse associations between educational attainment and current smoking (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.05-3.21) and menthol tobacco product use (AOR: 4.73, 95% CI: 2.07-10.80) were weaker for Back individuals than those who were White.

CONCLUSION

Due to MDRs of educational attainment, while highly educated White adults show a low risk of tobacco use, educated Black adults remain at a disproportionately increased risk. The study emphasizes the need for better policies and programs that address minorities' diminished return of education for tobacco use.

Small CBPR Grants Program: An Innovative Model to Build Sustainable Academic-Community Partnerships

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective approach for addressing health disparities by integrating diverse knowledge and expertise from both academic and community partners throughout the research process. However, more is needed to invest in the foundational infrastructure and resources that are necessary for building and maintaining lasting trusting research partnerships and supporting them to generate impactful CBPR-based research knowledge and solutions. Small CBPR Grants Program is a CBPR-seed-funding program that may be particularly helpful to minority-serving institutions' and universities' goal to invest in genuine community-engaged participatory research. Between 2016 and 2019, the Morgan State University Prevention Sciences Research Center, in collaboration with other community and academic organizations, provided 14 small CBPR awards to new partnerships, and evaluated the success and challenges of the program over a period of three years. To achieve our goal, technical support and training were provided to these partnerships to help with their growth and success. The expected outcomes included trusting relationships and equitable partnerships, as well as publications, presentations, and new proposals and awards to work on mutually identified issues. The program's resulted in continued partnerships beyond the program (in most cases), a founded CBPR Center namely ASCEND, and several secured additional fundings. Keys to the program's success were supporting the formation of research partnerships through networking opportunities and information sessions, as well as providing small grants to incentivize the development of innovative concepts and projects. A learning network and local support group were also created to enhance productivity and the overall impact of each project.

What Are the Effective Components of Group-Based Treatment Programs For Smoking Cessation? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

There is significant variation in the format and delivery of group-based smoking cessation programs. To guide research and healthcare program implementation, it is important to understand the active components of interventions.

AIMS AND METHODS

This review aimed to (1) identify behavior change techniques (BCTs) used in effective group-based smoking cessation interventions, (2) determine the effectiveness of group-based smoking cessation interventions on smoking cessation at 6-month follow-up, and (3) identify the behavior change techniques (BCTs) related to effective group-based smoking cessation. The following databases were searched in January 2000 and March 2022: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. BCTs used in each study were extracted using the BCT Taxonomy. Studies that included identified BCTs were computed, and meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate smoking cessation at 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 28 BCTs were identified from 19 randomized controlled trials. Studies included an average of 5.42 ± 2.0 BCTs. The most frequent BCTs were "information about health consequences" and "problem solving." The pooled 6-month smoking cessation was higher in the group-based intervention group (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.12 to 2.72, p <.001). Inclusion of the following four BCTs: "Problem solving," "Information about health Consequences," "Information about social and environmental consequences," and "Reward (outcome)" were found to be significantly associated with increased rate of 6-month smoking cessation.

CONCLUSIONS

Group-based smoking cessation interventions doubles the rate of smoking cessation at 6-month follow-up. Implementing group-based smoking cessation programs, that incorporate multiple BCTs, is recommended for an effective smoking cessation care.

IMPLICATIONS

Group-based smoking cessation programs improves smoking cessation outcomes in clinical trials. There is a need to incorporate effective individual BCTs techniques to enhance smoking cessation treatment outcomes. A robust evaluation is required to assess the effectiveness of group-based cessation programs in real world settings. There is also a need to consider the differential effectiveness of group-based programs and BCT impacts on populations, for example, indigenous peoples.

Efficacy of a Smoking Cessation Program for Underserved Ethnic Minority Communities: Results of a Smoking Cessation Trial

Objectives: Using a participatory research approach, this study reports the efficacy of the Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE)-4 intervention offered by the local peers. Methods: CEASE-4 is a theory-based tobacco-cessation intervention, tailored to the needs of underserved populations. 842 tobacco users self-selected into: a) self-help (n = 472), b) single-session class (n = 163), and c) four-session class (n = 207). While self-help group only received educational materials, curriculum for other arms was built on the social cognitive, motivational interviewing, and trans-theoretical- frameworks. Participants could also receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Outcome was self-reported smoking cessation measured 12 weeks after completion of the intervention, validated by exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) test. Results: Quit rate was statistically different across groups, with highest quit rate in four-session and lowest quit rate in self-help arm. Cessation rates at follow up (12 weeks after completion of the intervention) were 2.3% in the self-help arm, 6.1% in the single-session arm and 13.0% in the four-session arm. Conclusion: While theory-based smoking cessation services are effective for underserved populations, four-session curriculum might be superior to a single session program.

Building Capacity for Community-Academia Research Partnerships by Establishing a Physical Infrastructure for Community Engagement: Morgan CARES

Research partnerships between universities and communities following the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) have the potential to eliminate cycles of health disparities. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of establishing a community-campus network with a distinct mission and vision of developing trusting and successful research partnerships that are sustained and effective. In 2019, Morgan CARES was established to facilitate community engagement by founding a community center "within" a low-income residential neighborhood as a safe and accessible hub for creating a vibrant learning community. A community needs assessment and asset mapping was conducted and several necessary resources and services were provided to maximize networking opportunities, nurture innovative ideas and proposals, and provide seed funding. Lessons learned informed the optimization of a theoretical model that has guided the development and implementation of the program's key components. By December 2021, Morgan CARES had recruited 222 community and 137 academic members representing diverse expertise from across Baltimore City. We also successfully established new partnerships and funded a total of 17 small community-academic awards. Although in its early stages, Morgan CARES has established a dynamic learning community following a conceptual framework that could guide future similar initiatives.

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to Enhance Participation of Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Clinical Trials: A 10-Year Systematic Review

There has not been a significant improvement in the rate of clinical trial accrual in more than 20 years. Worse, the challenge of inadequate representation among racial and ethnic minorities also persists, deepening disparities in health. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a participatory communication method that centers on effective dialogue between researchers and community stakeholders with the goal of creating an equitable partnership for health and social change. The objective of the current study was to provide an update since a systematic review in 2012, on the current status of the empirical research, with a particular focus on the elements of CBPR methods used to improve the rate of accrual of members of racial and ethnic minority communities for clinical trials. Our systematic review found a large increase in the number of CBPR related studies and studies related to racial and ethnic representation in research. More than 85% of studies employing CBPR methods saw statistically positive outcomes. Specifically, the elements of CBPR that are associated with these positive outcomes include community partner participation in (1) a study advisory committee, (2) data collection, (3) the development of interventions, and (4) participant recruitment. However, the results of our study indicate that researchers need to be more transparent about the extent of community participation as well as more thoroughly and accurately describe the nature of the partnership with members of minority communities in order to build upon the scientific literature on community-engaged methods.

Personalised multicomponent interventions for tobacco dependence management in low socioeconomic populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There remains a disproportionally high tobacco smoking rate in low-income populations. Multicomponent tobacco dependence interventions in theory are effective. However, which intervention components are necessary to include for low socioeconomic status (SES) populations is still unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of multicomponent tobacco dependence interventions for low SES and create a checklist tool examining multicomponent interventions.

METHODS

EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published with the primary outcome of tobacco smoking cessation measured at 6 months or post intervention. RCTs that evaluated tobacco dependence management interventions (for reduction or cessation) in low SES (experience of housing insecurity, poverty, low income, unemployment, mental health challenges, illicit substance use and/or food insecurity) were included. Two authors independently abstracted data. Random effects meta-analysis and post hoc sensitivity analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Of the 33 included studies, the number of intervention components ranged from 1 to 6, with smoking quit rates varying between 1% and 36.6%. Meta-analysis revealed that both the 6-month and 12-month outcome timepoints, multicomponent interventions were successful in achieving higher smoking quit rates than the control (OR 1.64, 95% Cl 1.41 to 1.91; OR 1.74, 95% Cl 1.30 to 2.33). Evidence of low heterogeneity in the effect size was observed at 6-month (I2=26%) and moderate heterogeneity at 12-month (I2=56%) outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Multicomponent tobacco dependence interventions should focus on inclusion of social support, frequency and duration of components. Employing community-based participatory-action research approach is essential to addressing underlying psychosocioeconomic-structural factors, in addition to the proven combination pharmacotherapies.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017076650.

Rural Community Engagement for Health Disparities Research: The Unique Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Reducing health disparities in rural communities of color remains a national concern. Efforts to reduce health disparities often center on community engagement, which is historically the strategy used to provide rural minority populations with support to access and utilize health information and services. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with their origins derived from social injustices and discrimination, are uniquely positioned to conduct this type of engagement. We present the "Research with Care" project, a long-standing positive working relationship between North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and rural Halifax County, North Carolina, demonstrating an effective campus-community partnership. The importance of readiness to implement Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles is underscored. As demonstrated by the NCCU-Halifax partnership, we recommend leveraging the positive associations of the HBCU brand identity as a method of building and sustaining meaningful relationships with rural Black communities. This underscores the role and value of HBCUs in the health disparities research arena and should be communicated and embraced.

Addressing Tobacco Use in Underserved Communities Through a Peer-Facilitated Smoking Cessation Program

Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-Free Environment (CEASE) is a long-standing research partnership between a university and the neighboring community that was established to reduce tobacco use among poor and underserved residents. The CEASE tobacco cessation program was implemented in four phases, with each new phase applying lessons learned from the previous phases to improve outcomes. This study describes CEASE's community-based approach and reports results from implementing the second phase of the intervention which, among other things, varied in the type of incentives, setting, and providers used. CEASE implemented a mixed-methods study following the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. During Phase II, a total of 398 smokers were recruited into two 12-session group counseling interventions facilitated by trained peers in community venues, which differed in the type of incentives used to increase participation and reward the achievement of milestones. At 12-week follow-up, 21% of all participants reported not smoking, with a retention rate (i.e., attendance at six or more of the 12 cessation classes offered) of 51.9%. No significant differences in cessation outcomes were found between the two study arms. Using a CBPR approach resulted in a peer-led model of care with improved outcomes compared to Phase I, which was provided by clinicians. The combined use of monetary and non-monetary incentives was helpful in increasing participation in the program but did not significantly impact smoking cessation. A CBPR approach can increase the acceptability and effectiveness of cessation services for underserved populations.

Additional behavioural support as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation increase the likelihood of achieving abstinence in a quit attempt. It is plausible that providing support, or, if support is offered, offering more intensive support or support including particular components may increase abstinence further.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of adding or increasing the intensity of behavioural support for people using smoking cessation medications, and to assess whether there are different effects depending on the type of pharmacotherapy, or the amount of support in each condition. We also looked at studies which directly compare behavioural interventions matched for contact time, where pharmacotherapy is provided to both groups (e.g. tests of different components or approaches to behavioural support as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register, clinicaltrials.gov, and the ICTRP in June 2018 for records with any mention of pharmacotherapy, including any type of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, nortriptyline or varenicline, that evaluated the addition of personal support or compared two or more intensities of behavioural support.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials in which all participants received pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation and conditions differed by the amount or type of behavioural support. The intervention condition had to involve person-to-person contact (defined as face-to-face or telephone). The control condition could receive less intensive personal contact, a different type of personal contact, written information, or no behavioural support at all. We excluded trials recruiting only pregnant women and trials which did not set out to assess smoking cessation at six months or longer.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

For this update, screening and data extraction followed standard Cochrane methods. The main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months of follow-up. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence for each trial, and biochemically-validated rates, if available. We calculated the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each study. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis using a random-effects model.

MAIN RESULTS

Eighty-three studies, 36 of which were new to this update, met the inclusion criteria, representing 29,536 participants. Overall, we judged 16 studies to be at low risk of bias and 21 studies to be at high risk of bias. All other studies were judged to be at unclear risk of bias. Results were not sensitive to the exclusion of studies at high risk of bias. We pooled all studies comparing more versus less support in the main analysis. Findings demonstrated a benefit of behavioural support in addition to pharmacotherapy. When all studies of additional behavioural therapy were pooled, there was evidence of a statistically significant benefit from additional support (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.22, I² = 8%, 65 studies, n = 23,331) for abstinence at longest follow-up, and this effect was not different when we compared subgroups by type of pharmacotherapy or intensity of contact. This effect was similar in the subgroup of eight studies in which the control group received no behavioural support (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.43, I² = 20%, n = 4,018). Seventeen studies compared interventions matched for contact time but that differed in terms of the behavioural components or approaches employed. Of the 15 comparisons, all had small numbers of participants and events. Only one detected a statistically significant effect, favouring a health education approach (which the authors described as standard counselling containing information and advice) over motivational interviewing approach (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.94, n = 378).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is high-certainty evidence that providing behavioural support in person or via telephone for people using pharmacotherapy to stop smoking increases quit rates. Increasing the amount of behavioural support is likely to increase the chance of success by about 10% to 20%, based on a pooled estimate from 65 trials. Subgroup analysis suggests that the incremental benefit from more support is similar over a range of levels of baseline support. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of specific components that comprise behavioural support.

Staying Quit After Release (SQuARe) trial protocol: a randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention to maintain smoking abstinence after release from smoke-free prisons in Victoria, Australia

INTRODUCTION

Smoke-free policies have been introduced in prisons internationally. However, high rates of relapse to smoking after release from prison indicate that these policies typically result in short-term smoking cessation only. These high rates of relapse, combined with a lack of investment in relapse prevention, highlight a missed opportunity to improve the health of a population who smoke tobacco at two to six times the rate of the general population. This paper describes the rationale and design of a randomised controlled trial, testing the effectiveness of a caseworker-delivered intervention promoting smoking cessation among former smokers released from smoke-free prisons in Victoria, Australia.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The multicomponent, brief intervention consists of behavioural counselling, provision of nicotine spray and referral to Quitline and primary care to promote use of government-subsidised smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. The intervention is embedded in routine service delivery and is administered at three time points: one prerelease and two postrelease from prison. Control group participants will receive usual care. Smoking abstinence will be assessed at 1 and 3 months postrelease, and confirmed with carbon monoxide breath testing. Linkage of participant records to survey and routinely collected administrative data will provide further information on postrelease use of health services and prescribed medication.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Corrections Victoria Research Committee, the Victorian Department of Justice Human Research Ethics Committee, the Department of Human Services External Request Evaluation Committee and the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. Results will be submitted to major international health-focused journals. In case of success, findings will assist policymakers to implement urgently needed interventions promoting the maintenance of prison-initiated smoking abstinence after release, to reduce the health disparities experienced by this marginalised population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12618000072213; Pre-results.

Toward an Intergenerational Model for Tobacco-Focused CBPR: Integrating Youth Perspectives via Photovoice

The growing prominence of community-based participatory research (CBPR) presents as an opportunity to improve tobacco-related intervention efforts. CBPR collaborations for tobacco/health, however, typically engage only adults, thus affording only a partial understanding of community context as related to tobacco. This is problematic given evidence around age of tobacco use initiation and the influence of local tobacco environments on youth. The CEASE and Resist youth photovoice project was developed as part of the Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE) CBPR collaboration in Southwest Baltimore. With the broader CEASE initiative focused on adult smoking cessation, CEASE and Resist had three aims: (1) elucidate how youth from a high-tobacco-burden community perceive/interact with their local tobacco environment, (2) train youth as active change agents for tobacco-related community health, and (3) improve intergenerational understandings of tobacco use/impacts within the community. Fourteen youth were recruited from three schools and trained in participatory research and photography ethics/guiding principles. Youth met at regular intervals to discuss and narrate their photos. This article provides an overview of what their work revealed/achieved and discusses how including participatory youth research within traditionally adult-focused work can facilitate intergenerational CBPR for sustainable local action on tobacco and community health.

Improving Participants' Retention in a Smoking Cessation Intervention Using a Community-based Participatory Research Approach

Background

This study compares participant' sretention in three phases of smoking cessation interventions, one provided in a health clinic and the subsequent two in community-based settings.

Methods

Smoking cessation interventions were conducted in three phases from 2008 to 2015 in two underserved urban communities with low socioeconomic profiles and high rates of smoking (n = 951). Phase I was conducted in a clinic; Phases II and III were conducted in community venues. In Phases II and III, incremental changes were made based on lessons learned from the previous phases. Retention (attending six or more sessions) was the primary predictor of cessation and was analyzed while controlling for associated factors including age, gender, race, employment, education, and nicotine dependence.

Results

Retention increased substantially over the three phases, with rates for attending six or more sessions of 13.8%, 51.9%, and 67.9% in Phases I, II, and III, respectively. Retention was significantly higher in community settings than in the clinic setting (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.7; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 4.6, 9.8). In addition to the intervention in community venues, predictors of retention included age and unemployment. Higher retention was significantly associated with higher quit rates (adjusted OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.5, 3.8).

Conclusions

Conducting the intervention in community settings using trained peer motivators rather than health-care providers resulted in significantly higher retention and smoking cessation rates. This was due in part to the ability to tailor cessation classes in the community for specific populations and improving the quality of the intervention based on feedback from participants and community partners.

Examining Smoking Cessation in a Community-Based Versus Clinic-Based Intervention Using Community-Based Participatory Research

Tobacco use remains a major public health problem in the U.S. disproportionately affecting underserved communities. The Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE) initiative is an intervention to address the problem using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. This study compares quit rates in a peer-led community-based intervention with those achieved in a clinical setting. The intervention consisted of three Phases. Phase I (n = 404) was a clinic-based trial comparing two types of counseling. Phase II (n = 398) and Phase III (n = 163) interventions were conducted in community venues by trained Peer Motivators. Quit rates at 12-week follow-up increased from 9.4 % in Phase I (clinic-based) to an average of 23.7 % in Phases II and III combined (community-based). The main predictor of smoking cessation was delivery of services in community settings (OR 2.6, 95 % CI 1.7-4.2) while controlling for possible confounders. A community-based approach can significantly guide and improve effectiveness and acceptability of smoking cessation services designed for low-income urban populations. In addition, CBPR can result in better recruitment and retention of the participants.

Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: an overdue opportunity for social justice

Using a modified social ecological model, we conducted a review of the literature and nationwide statistics on African American health. We discuss the main social determinants of health and main health disparities, risk factors, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, and access to health services for blacks in the USA. The mechanisms through which social determinants, including racism, exert their deleterious effects on black health are discussed at the macro and individual levels. Incarceration and mental health care issues are highlighted as priorities to be addressed. African Americans remain the least healthy ethnic group in the USA, a somber legacy of years of racial and social injustice and a formidable challenge to equitable health care for all. Systemic causes of suboptimal black health require equally systemic solutions; positive trends in black health indicators seem to be driven by social development programs, economic investment in education, participation of African Americans in policy, and decision-making and expansion of access to health care.