The Break Up: Evaluation of an Anti-Smoking Educational Campaign for Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Los Angeles County

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in the United States have a higher prevalence of smoking than their heterosexual counterparts. In 2013, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched a social marketing and outreach campaign called Break Up to reduce the prevalence of smoking in LGB communities. Break Up was evaluated using cross-sectional, street-intercept surveys before and near the end of campaign. Surveys measured demographics, campaign awareness, and self-reported smoking-related outcomes. Bivariate statistics and logistic regression models were used to identify whether campaign awareness was associated with smoking-related outcomes. Calls by LGB persons to a smokers’ helpline were also measured. Among those interviewed at endline, 32.7% reported Break Up awareness. Awareness was associated with thinking of quitting smoking and ever taking steps to quit but not with smoking cessation (defined as not smoking in the past 30 days among those who had smoked in the past 6 months). There was a 0.7% increase in the percentage of weekly calls by LGB persons to the helpline in the year after the campaign. Break Up reached about a third of its intended audience. The campaign was associated with smoking cessation precursors and may have led to an increase in helpline utilization, but there is no evidence it affected quit attempts. This study adds to the limited literature on tobacco programs for LGB persons and, as far as we know, is one of the first to evaluate tobacco-free social marketing in this important yet understudied population.

Acknowledgments

We thank the National Network of Public Health Institutes for supporting the Break Up campaign and evaluation; the interviewer team for its work collecting survey data; and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention ad hoc advisory committee members, Loretta Worthington, Claud Moradian, and Genaro Sandoval, for their insights into the Break Up creative elements. Finally, we thank Shiushing Wong for assisting with helpline data analysis.

Funding

This article was supported in part by Award No. 5U58DP003631-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this article are our own and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In accordance with U.S. law, no federal funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were permitted to be used by community grantees for lobbying or to influence, directly or indirectly, specific pieces of pending or proposed legislation at the federal, state, or local levels. No conflicts of interest are declared.

Additional information

Funding

This article was supported in part by Award No. 5U58DP003631-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this article are our own and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In accordance with U.S. law, no federal funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were permitted to be used by community grantees for lobbying or to influence, directly or indirectly, specific pieces of pending or proposed legislation at the federal, state, or local levels. No conflicts of interest are declared.