Engaging African Americans in Smoking Cessation Programs

Background

African Americans are disproportionately exposed to and targeted by prosmoking advertisements, particularly menthol cigarette ads. Though African Americans begin smoking later than whites, they are less likely to quit smoking than whites.

Purpose

This study was designed to explore African American smoking cessation attitudes, behaviors, and resources to gain insights on how to enhance the appeal of smoking cessation interventions in African American communities.

Methods

Ten focus groups were conducted with urban, suburban, and rural African American adult smokers and ex-smokers in Maryland who also completed brief questionnaires.

Results

Although knowledge of negative health effects of smoking and motivation for smoking cessation were high, participants lacked confidence in their ability to quit successfully and were poorly informed about resources and programs for smoking cessation.

Discussion and Translation to Health Education Practice

Findings from this study suggest that cultural tailoring, neighborhood focus, and strong marketing may enhance the appeal of smoking cessation programs to African American smokers. Programs also may be more attractive if they use respected nonsmoking role models and peer support.