Abstract
Kentucky youth (14.3%) smoke more cigarettes as compared to the U.S. average (8.8%), and Appalachian communities suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer. Training youth to become advocates is an effective strategy to improve health equity. This article describes the development and impact of a youth advocacy program to promote tobacco control policies in Appalachian Kentucky. Phase I (2017-2018): two ½-day trainings followed by monthly meetings with one high school (n = 20 youth). Trainings provided information on tobacco use, consequences, industry tactics, evidence-based tobacco control, and advocacy skills. Results provided support for expansion to Phase II (2018-20119): A 1-day training followed by monthly information sharing implemented in three counties (N = 80). Youth were surveyed before and 6-months posttraining during both phases. Phase I: At posttraining, 85% of youth believed they could reduce the amount of tobacco use in their community versus 66% at baseline. More students tried at least once to convince school or government officials to be more concerned about tobacco use (77% vs. 47%). Phase II: More students supported tobacco policies at posttraining survey and realized policies are an effective strategy to reduce tobacco use. At posttraining survey, students reported greater interpersonal confidence talking with others about tobacco-related issues, with a 24% increase in confidence talking with adults in their communities, as well as greater advocacy self-efficacy. Youth in Appalachia demonstrate desire to influence tobacco use and policy to improve health equity. Findings reinforce the need for collaborative public health interventions to promote ongoing training and support for youth living in high-risk communities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 98S-109S |
| Journal | Health Promotion Practice |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 1_suppl |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2019 Society for Public Health Education.
Funding
98S 109S © 2019 Society for Public Health Education 2019 Society for Public Health Education Kentucky youth (14.3%) smoke more cigarettes as compared to the U.S. average (8.8%), and Appalachian communities suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer. Training youth to become advocates is an effective strategy to improve health equity. This article describes the development and impact of a youth advocacy program to promote tobacco control policies in Appalachian Kentucky. Phase I (2017-2018): two ½-day trainings followed by monthly meetings with one high school ( n = 20 youth). Trainings provided information on tobacco use, consequences, industry tactics, evidence-based tobacco control, and advocacy skills. Results provided support for expansion to Phase II (2018-20119): A 1-day training followed by monthly information sharing implemented in three counties ( N = 80). Youth were surveyed before and 6-months posttraining during both phases. Phase I: At posttraining, 85% of youth believed they could reduce the amount of tobacco use in their community versus 66% at baseline. More students tried at least once to convince school or government officials to be more concerned about tobacco use (77% vs. 47%). Phase II: More students supported tobacco policies at posttraining survey and realized policies are an effective strategy to reduce tobacco use. At posttraining survey, students reported greater interpersonal confidence talking with others about tobacco-related issues, with a 24% increase in confidence talking with adults in their communities, as well as greater advocacy self-efficacy. Youth in Appalachia demonstrate desire to influence tobacco use and policy to improve health equity. Findings reinforce the need for collaborative public health interventions to promote ongoing training and support for youth living in high-risk communities. youth advocacy tobacco control empowerment tobacco policy typesetter ts1 Authors’ Note: The authors would like to thank the community and school stakeholders who made this program possible. In addition, we are most appreciative of the youth who participated in the program. This work was supported by the Kentucky Department for Public Health, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, and the CVS Health Foundation. Supplement Note: This article is part of the Health Promotion Practice supplement, “Tobacco and Health Equity: Interventions, Research, and Strategies to Address Tobacco Use Among Diverse Populations,” developed under the guidance of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). SOPHE received funding from the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (Grant number HHSF223201820377A) to support printing and open access dissemination. The views and findings expressed in these manuscripts are those of the authors and do not imply endorsement or reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Government. The entire supplement issue is available open access at https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/hppa/21/1_suppl . ORCID iDs Melinda J. Ickes https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3198-2812 Amy Fisher https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6828-9651
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| CVS Health Foundation | |
| Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity | HHSF223201820377A |
| Kentucky Department for Public Health |
Keywords
- empowerment
- tobacco control
- tobacco policy
- youth advocacy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Nursing (miscellaneous)
