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.

What Differentiates Underserved Smokers Who Successfully Quit From Those Who Do Not.

Poor persons continue to smoke at high rates and suffer grave health effects. We have been working with our community partners since 2008 to help poor people in the surrounding neighborhoods stop smoking through a multi-phase CBPR intervention known as CEASE. Our study used qualitative methods to identify factors that characterized those who successfully quit smoking (doers) and those who did not (non-doers). Both doers and non-doers identified social pressure as the main reason for starting to smoke, and health as the main motivator for quitting. Although they were similar in many ways, the doers seemed to have more social support for cessation-i.e., more people in their lives who wanted them to quit and whom they wanted to protect from secondhand smoke. The non-doers offered more feedback on how to improve the cessation classes, including making them longer, reducing the class size, adding extra counseling, and using quitting partners. Both doers and non-doers reported increased self-confidence, appreciation for the cessation support they received from CEASE, and a desire that the group classes continue. Cessation is a social event and smokers with more social support appear to be more successful at quitting. Showing interest in and offering social support to poor underserved smokers in their own communities is a powerful way to help them.

Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Tumor Grade Among Black Men with Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer affects black men disproportionately. Black men have an increased incidence of prostate cancer diagnoses at earlier ages and higher grade as indicated by Gleason score, compared to other races. This study investigates the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on prostate cancer tumor grade among black men. METHODS: Black men with a prostate cancer diagnosis during 1973-2011 were examined using individual-level data from the SEER NLMS database. Logistic regression model estimated the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of high versus low grade prostate cancer based on self-reported SES status at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: Men who completed high school only were statistically significantly more likely to have a higher prostate cancer grade than those with a bachelor's degree or higher. However, there was no dose-response effect across educational strata. Retirees were 30% less likely to have higher grade tumors compared to those who were employed. CONCLUSIONS: SES differences among black men did not fully explain the high grade of prostate cancer. Further research is needed on the biology of the disease and to assess access to medical care and prostate health education, discrimination, stress exposures, and social norms that might contribute to the aggressiveness of prostate cancer among black men.

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.

Assessment of mental distress among prison inmates in Ghana's correctional system: a cross-sectional study using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.

BACKGROUND: Applying global estimates of the prevalence of mental disorders suggests that about 2.4 million Ghanaians have some form of psychiatric distress. Despite the facts that relatively little community-based treatment is available (only 18 psychiatrists are known to actively practice in Ghana), and that mental disorders are more concentrated among the incarcerated, there is no known research on mental disorders in Ghana prisons, and no forensic mental health services available to those who suffer from them. This study sought to determine the rate of mental distress among prisoners in Ghana. METHODS: This cross-sectional research used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale to estimate the rates and severity of non-specific psychological distress among a stratified probability sample of 89 male and 11 female prisoners in one of the oldest correctional facilities in the country. Fisher's exact test was used to determine the rates of psychological distress within the study population. RESULTS: According to the Kessler Scale, more than half of all respondents had moderate to severe mental distress in the four weeks preceding their interviews. Nearly 70% of inmates with only a primary education had moderate to severe mental distress. Though this was higher than the rates among inmates with more education, it exceeded the rates for those with no education. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of moderate to severe mental distress among the inmates in this exploratory study should serve as baseline for further studies into mental disorders among the incarcerated persons in Ghana. Future research should use larger samples, include more prison facilities, and incorporate tools that can identify specific mental disorders.

Levels and determinants of low birth weight in infants delivered under the national health insurance scheme in Northern Ghana.

This research determined the levels and odds ratios for low birth weight (LBW) infants delivered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) compared to LBW infants delivered under the previous "Cash and Carry" system in Northern Ghana. Birth records of infants delivered before and after implementation of the NHIS in Northern Ghana were examined. Records of each day's births during the identified periods were abstracted. Days with fewer or no births were accommodated by oversampling from days before or after. Chi squared tests of independence were used to examine the bivariate association between categorical independent variables and LBW. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships among selected variables for mothers and infants and the odds ratios for LBW. Infants delivered under NHIS had lower rates of LBW (16.8 %) compared to infants born under Cash and Carry (23.3 %). Mothers who delivered under NHIS were significantly less likely to have infants at LBW (unadjusted OR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.49, 0.86). The rate of LBW among infants delivered under NHIS is significantly lower than among infants delivered under Cash and Carry. The rate of LBW under Cash and Carry in 2000 fell by 27 % in relation to the NHIS in 2010. These findings confirm that the NHIS, which gives pregnant women in Northern Ghana four antenatal visits and access to skilled health professionals for delivery at no cost to the mother, significantly improved birth weight outcomes.

Do Infant Birth Outcomes Vary Among Mothers With and Without Health Insurance Coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from the National Health Insurance and Cash and Carry Eras in Ghana, West Africa.

BACKGROUND: Beginning in the late 1960's, and accelerating after 1985, a system known as "Cash and Carry" required the people of Ghana to pay for health services out-of-pocket before receiving them. In 2003, Ghana enacted a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) (fully implemented by 2005) that allowed pregnant women to access antenatal care and hospital delivery services for low annual premiums tied to income. The objective of this study was to compare trends in low birth weight (LBW) among infants born under the NHIS with infants born during the Cash and Carry system when patients paid out-of-pocket for maternal and child health services. METHODS: Sampled birth records abstracted from birth folders at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) were examined. Chi-squared tests were performed to determine differences in the prevalence of LBW. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were conducted for selected variables in each year from 2000 to 2003 (Cash and Carry) and 2008 to 2011(NHIS). RESULTS: Higher birth weights were not observed for deliveries under NHIS compared to those under Cash and Carry. More than one-third of infants in both eras were born to first-time mothers, and they had a significantly higher prevalence of LBW compared to infants born to multiparous mothers. CONCLUSION AND GLOBAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS: Understanding the factors that affect the prevalence of LBW is crucial to public health policy makers in Ghana. LBW is a powerful predictor of infant survival, and therefore, an important factor in determining the country's progress toward meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-five child mortality rates (MDG4) by the end of 2015.

Improving health services for residents through community-based participatory research: a public housing leadership perspective.

BACKGROUND: In response to feedback from a health forum, resident leaders of public housing in Washington, DC, were inspired to create a health survey for and by the residents. OBJECTIVE: The survey was designed to document residents' concerns about health, health care, and environmental threats. It also explored tobacco use and support for smoke-free housing. METHODS: A newly created Health Planning Committee of the Citywide Advisory Board, including residents, academics, and representatives of health and housing organizations, facilitated the creation of a health needs assessment. Questionnaires were initially mailed, then hand-delivered to every public housing household. More than 1,000 completed questionnaires have now been returned. LESSONS LEARNED: This project highlights a model that places resident leaders in charge of health issues, including leading advocacy efforts for policies to reduce health disparities in public housing. It identifies research challenges and ways to overcome them and empowers the community for continued research.

Health care access and utilization among ex-offenders in Baltimore: implications for policy.

The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, releasing 12 million ex-offenders each year. These ex-offenders are disproportionately male, Black, poor, under-educated, and unhealthy, and return to our nation's poorest neighborhoods. Through a survey questionnaire and focus groups, this study examined the health status, health needs, access to and utilization of health care services among a sample of ex-offenders living in transitional housing in Baltimore City. More than half reported at least two major, chronic health problems. Only 40% had any form of health coverage; even more predictive of the ability to obtain health services was being able to name a specific provider (doctor, clinic or health organization). Recommendations for halting the downward spiral of poverty and sickness for this population and their communities include providing assistance with accessing, understanding, and navigating our complex and consumer-unfriendly health care system.

The role of tobacco advertising and promotion: themes employed in litigation by tobacco industry witnesses.

OBJECTIVES: To identify key themes related to tobacco advertising and promotion in testimony provided by tobacco industry-affiliated witnesses in tobacco litigation, and to present countervailing evidence and arguments. METHODS: Themes in industry testimony were identified by review of transcripts of testimony in the Tobacco Deposition and Trial Testimony Archive (http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta) from a sample of defence witnesses, including three academic expert witnesses, six senior executives of tobacco companies, and one industry advertising consultant. Counterarguments to the themes embodied in defence testimony were based on information from peer-reviewed literature, advertising trade publications, government reports, tobacco industry documents, and testimony provided by expert witnesses testifying for plaintiffs. RESULTS: Five major themes employed by defence witnesses were identified: (1) tobacco advertising has a relatively weak "share of voice" in the marketing environment and is a weak force in affecting smoking behaviour; (2) tobacco advertising and promotion do not create new smokers, expand markets, or increase total tobacco consumption; (3) the tobacco industry does not target, study, or track youth smoking; (4) tobacco advertising and promotion do not cause smoking initiation by youth; and (5) tobacco companies and the industry adhere closely to relevant laws, regulations, and industry voluntary codes. Substantial evidence exists in rebuttal to these arguments. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco industry-affiliated witnesses have marshalled many arguments to deny the adverse effects of tobacco marketing activities and to portray tobacco companies as responsible corporate citizens. Effective rebuttals to these arguments exist, and plaintiffs' attorneys have, with varying degrees of success, presented them to judges and juries.