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Scholarly Works, Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/103157

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Browsing Scholarly Works, Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science by Author "Dearfield, Craig T."

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    Behavioural intentions in response to a potential menthol cigarette sales ban: a survey examining smokers in Washington, DC public housing
    Dearfield, Craig T.; Horn, Kimberly; Crandell, Ian; Bernat, Debra H. (Bmj Publishing Group, 2022-07)
    Objectives Local, national and international policies are being proposed to ban the sale of menthol-flavoured tobacco products. With more bans being implemented, it is increasingly important to understand reactions to these bans among smokers of low socioeconomic status. This study examined public housing residents' behavioural intentions if menthol-flavoured cigarettes were no longer sold. Setting 15 District of Columbia Housing Authority properties between March 2019 and March 2021. Participants 221 District of Columbia Housing Authority residents ages 18-80 years who reported smoking menthol cigarettes (83.3% African-American/black). Primary and secondary outcomes Cigarette quitting and switching intentions due to a hypothetical menthol-flavoured cigarette sales ban. Results Nearly one-half (48.0%) of residents said they intended to quit cigarette use if menthol-flavoured products were no longer sold, while 27.2% were unsure if they would quit, and 24.9% reported they would not quit. Older residents (OR 0.94 per year, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.97), senior/disabled building versus family building residents (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.97), those who smoked within 30 min of waking (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.98) and daily smokers (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.84) had lower odds of reporting quit intentions associated with a menthol ban. Of those not intending to quit, 40.7% reported they would switch to non-menthol cigarettes, 20.4% to another non-menthol product, 13.0% to menthol e-cigarettes and 20.4% to another menthol product. Conclusions Results suggest banning the sale of menthol-flavoured products has the potential to impact cigarette smoking cessation. Nearly three-quarters of smokers in public housing indicated a possibility of quitting smoking because of a menthol cigarette ban. Bans that include all flavours in all tobacco products may be most effective for facilitating overall tobacco cessation.
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    Smoking cessation intentions and attempts one year after the federally mandated smoke-free housing rule
    Horn, Kimberly; Dearfield, Craig T.; Johnson, Sallie Beth; Krost, Kevin; Patino, Sofia Rincon Gallardo; Gray, Tiffany; Crandell, Ian; Bernat, Debra H. (Elsevier, 2021-12)
    The present study examines public housing residents' smoking cessation intentions, expectancies, and attempts one year after implementation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's mandatory smoke-free rule in public housing. The sample includes 233 cigarette smokers, ages 18-80, who reside in the District of Columbia Housing Authority. Data collection occurred between March and August 2019. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Wilcoxon two-sample test analyses assessed smoking cessation intentions, expectancies, and attempts across resident demographics and characteristics. Findings showed 17.2% of residents reported not thinking about quitting, 39.1% reported thinking about quitting, and 48.6% reported thinking about quitting specifically because of the rule. Residents ages 60-80 were more likely to consider quitting because of the rule, compared to residents ages 18-59. Of those thinking of quitting, 58.6% were sure they could quit if they tried. Those thinking of quitting due to the rule (62.0%) were more likely to have made at least one quit attempt in the past 3 months than those i not attributinging thinking of quitting to the rule. Res Residents trying to quit reported an average of 2.7 attempts in the last 3 months;; most perceived evidence-based cessation supports as not helpful. A A majority reported thinking about quitting and attempting to quit but continuing to smoke, indicating a significant gap between intent to quit and successfully quitting. Results suggest that the rule positively influenced smoking behaviors. However, additional interventions are needed to assist public housing residents with successfully quitting smoking.