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Smokers who quit within the past year were more likely to have been advised to quit by two or more types of health professionals. And current smokers who were advised to quit by multiple types of clinicians are more likely to be planning to quit in the next six months. So involving not only physicians but also nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other health professionals could make a big impact in prompting smokers to quit. Those intriguing findings were derived from the responses that current and former smokers gave to the 2003 Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey. See the top link at left to read the full article “Impact of Smoking-Cessation Intervention by Multiple Health Professionals.” It appeared in the January 2008 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Several Center for Prevention staff members collaborated on this article along with colleagues from the University of Minnesota, ClearWay Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Health. Research illuminates cultural factors influencing tobacco use among Minnesota's Latino and Southeast Asian communities.Blue Cross has co-sponsored the Diverse Racial and Ethnic Groups and Nations (DREGAN) project since 2001. This unique collaborative effort is a community-based, participatory research and action program that aims to reduce the harm caused by tobacco in Minnesota's minority communities. Community-based organizations are equal partners in this effort. On April 10th, 2006 the five DREGAN project partner organizations released two reports that provide complex and fascinating portraits of the beliefs and attitudes surrounding tobacco use among Minnesota's Latino and Southeast Asian communities. These qualitative reports were based on in-depth interviews with 61 Latino and 60 Southeast Asian formal and informal community leaders. "The findings help explain why mainstream strategies to reduce tobacco use aren't as successful in some communities," said Steven Foldes, Ph.D., director of research and evaluation in the Center for Prevention. "The findings will also inform the development of successful strategies based on the cultural values of each community."
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