Authors' Affiliations

Hadii Mamudu, Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Florence Weierbach, College of Nursing, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Adeola Ayo, Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Philomena Osei, Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Rafie Boghozian, Department of Chemistry, Nashville State Community College, Nashville, TN Fawaz Mzayek, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN Terry Hinton, Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Jacob Black, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN Liz Johnson, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN

Location

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Start Date

4-5-2024 9:00 AM

End Date

4-5-2024 11:30 AM

Poster Number

116

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Christen Minnick

Faculty Sponsor's Department

Community and Behavioral Health

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Master’s

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Presentation Category

Health

Abstract or Artist's Statement

Background: Globally, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death. In the United States, tobacco use accounts for over 480,000 deaths annually (including over 41,000 deaths due to secondhand smoke exposure) and $600 billion (about $1,800 per person in the US) in health care expenditures each year. Yet in Tennessee, almost one in five adults are current smokers, compared to the national prevalence of about one in ten. Specifically in Tennessee, tobacco use accounts for over 11,400 annual deaths and $11 billion (about $34 per person in the US) in healthcare costs. Recently, the use of novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes/vaping, hookahs, and other heated tobacco products has been on the rise, particularly among youths. Objective: To explore the stakeholder interest in a 5-year strategic plan for the Tennessee Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program (TCTCP) and to determine stakeholder rankings for the priorities identified for the plan. Method: Eight priorities were identified based on existing literature and results from external and internal assessments and included in an online survey available to various residents and employees in Tennessee from December 2023 to January 2024. Each priority was ranked from 1 to 8 depending on how important it was perceived by each individual, with 1 being the lowest and 8 being the highest. As part of a workshop, various stakeholders from across the state converged to discuss and reach a consensus on the priorities identified by a strategic planning team. The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the priorities for the proposed tobacco control and prevention strategic plan were ranked based on the rankings of the participants. Results: The survey included 261 participants, with the majority indicating primary employment in the healthcare sector (40%), academia (18%), and community coalitions (15%). About 73% of the participants were never smokers, 23% were former smokers, and 4% were current smokers. Approximately 91% of the participants supported the development of a tobacco control and prevention program. The highest ranked priority was non-existing/weak comprehensive tobacco/vaping control laws/programs (14.22%), followed closely by the high prevalence of tobacco use in Tennessee (14.17%), and inequities in the prevalence of tobacco/nicotine use and incidence of tobacco-induced morbidity and mortality (13.83%). Other priorities include funding for the tobacco prevention and control program (13.74%), exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke/e-cigarette aerosol (12.56%), tobacco/nicotine use cessation (12.15%), tobacco use among pregnant women (10.91%), and initiation and continuation of tobacco use/vaping among youth (8.42%). Conclusion: The top three priorities for tobacco control and prevention planning are inadequate tobacco/vaping laws, funding for tobacco monitoring, health outcomes and research, and disparities and inequities in tobacco use. Thus, significantly reducing tobacco use in Tennessee requires addressing these priorities in tobacco prevention and control.

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Apr 5th, 9:00 AM Apr 5th, 11:30 AM

Ranking of Priorities for a Strategic Plan for Tobacco Control and Prevention in Tennessee

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Background: Globally, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death. In the United States, tobacco use accounts for over 480,000 deaths annually (including over 41,000 deaths due to secondhand smoke exposure) and $600 billion (about $1,800 per person in the US) in health care expenditures each year. Yet in Tennessee, almost one in five adults are current smokers, compared to the national prevalence of about one in ten. Specifically in Tennessee, tobacco use accounts for over 11,400 annual deaths and $11 billion (about $34 per person in the US) in healthcare costs. Recently, the use of novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes/vaping, hookahs, and other heated tobacco products has been on the rise, particularly among youths. Objective: To explore the stakeholder interest in a 5-year strategic plan for the Tennessee Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program (TCTCP) and to determine stakeholder rankings for the priorities identified for the plan. Method: Eight priorities were identified based on existing literature and results from external and internal assessments and included in an online survey available to various residents and employees in Tennessee from December 2023 to January 2024. Each priority was ranked from 1 to 8 depending on how important it was perceived by each individual, with 1 being the lowest and 8 being the highest. As part of a workshop, various stakeholders from across the state converged to discuss and reach a consensus on the priorities identified by a strategic planning team. The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the priorities for the proposed tobacco control and prevention strategic plan were ranked based on the rankings of the participants. Results: The survey included 261 participants, with the majority indicating primary employment in the healthcare sector (40%), academia (18%), and community coalitions (15%). About 73% of the participants were never smokers, 23% were former smokers, and 4% were current smokers. Approximately 91% of the participants supported the development of a tobacco control and prevention program. The highest ranked priority was non-existing/weak comprehensive tobacco/vaping control laws/programs (14.22%), followed closely by the high prevalence of tobacco use in Tennessee (14.17%), and inequities in the prevalence of tobacco/nicotine use and incidence of tobacco-induced morbidity and mortality (13.83%). Other priorities include funding for the tobacco prevention and control program (13.74%), exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke/e-cigarette aerosol (12.56%), tobacco/nicotine use cessation (12.15%), tobacco use among pregnant women (10.91%), and initiation and continuation of tobacco use/vaping among youth (8.42%). Conclusion: The top three priorities for tobacco control and prevention planning are inadequate tobacco/vaping laws, funding for tobacco monitoring, health outcomes and research, and disparities and inequities in tobacco use. Thus, significantly reducing tobacco use in Tennessee requires addressing these priorities in tobacco prevention and control.