Implementing Tobacco Control Programs in Homeless Shelters: A Mixed-Methods Study. Issue 4 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vijayaraghavan, Maya; Hurst, Samantha; Pierce, John P.
• Is Part Of: Health promotion practice. Volume 17:Issue 4(2016:Jul.)
• Page Start: 501
• Page End: 511
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: homeless shelters -- smoke-free policy -- tobacco cessation; Health promotion -- Periodicals; Health promotion -- United States -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Health education -- United States -- Periodicals; 613
• DOI: 10.1177/1524839915618364
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1524-8399

Abstract

Background . Tobacco-related chronic diseases contribute significantly to the increased morbidity and mortality observed in the homeless population. Few homeless service settings address tobacco use among their clients. Method . Directors and staff from emergency and transitional shelters in San Diego County completed a questionnaire on no-smoking policies and smoking cessation services and participated in in-depth, semistructured interviews to examine the barriers to and facilitators of implementing smoke-free policies and cessation services in their facilities. Results . Facilities differed in outdoor restrictions around smoking: 61.5% reported having an outdoor designated smoking zone, and 25% reported having a campus-wide ban on smoking. About one-third of the facilities offered on-site resources for smoking cessation. Although directors and staff supported smoke-free policies, they reported that the increased resources needed to "police" the policy created barriers to implementation. Almost all directors and staff expressed interest in developing an on-site tobacco control program, but they reported that lack of expertise among staff posed challenges to implementing such a program. Conclusion . Our findings suggest that for a tobacco control program to be effective in homeless shelters, it should include training and incentives for staff to implement smoke-free policies and cessation services.