Neighbors for a smoke free north side: evaluation of a community organization approach to promoting smoking cessation among African Americans.

• DOI: 10.2105/ajph.88.11.1658
• Publication Date: 2008-11-29T13:30:23Z
• Authors: E B Fisher; W F Auslander; J F Munro; C L Arfken; R C Brownson; N W Owens
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; Health Promotion; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Prevalence; Urban Health Services; Humans; Program Development; Poverty; Decision Making, Organizational; Aged; Missouri; Community Participation; 1. No poverty; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; Black or African American; Logistic Models; Female; Smoking Cessation; Program Evaluation

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated a community organization approach that emphasized involvement of audiences in program planning and implementation promoting nonsmoking among African American residents low-income neighborhoods. METHODS: The quasi-experimental design involved 24-month intervention 3 low-income, predominantly neighborhoods St. Louis. Intervention were compared with comparable, untreated Kansas City. RESULTS: was successful engaging audience members its governance instigating numerous diverse neighborhood activities to promote nonsmoking. prevalence smoking declined from 34% 27% but only 33% comparison difference apparent within all demographically defined subsamples, indicating observed changes consistent not attributable confounding by demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: A emphasizing local authority for decisions informal networks may have an appreciable impact on