|
 |
For the last three years, UW-CTRI has partnered with the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Society on a project to help residents in Milwaukee ZIP code 53212 quit smoking. Most people in this neighborhood have low incomes and limited health care. It's all made possible by a grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The group is wrapping up the project with a door-to-door survey, similar to the baseline survey conducted approximately three years ago, which found that smoking prevalence was about 40 percent—double the statewide rate. It also found that survey participants thought the smoking rate in the neighborhood was almost 80 percent.
Survey staff, recruited from the job board at the local YWCA among other sources, are asking adults about individual and household smoking status, as well as topics like perceptions of the safety and efficacy of quit-smoking medication, will power, menthol cigarettes, etc. To get an additional barometer on why residents misperceive smoking prevalence by twice the actual rate, this survey includes questions about the smoking status of best friends and close friends—separate from the entire neighborhood. The thought is that the misperception comes from a high smoking prevalence in individuals’ family or inner circle. Staff have already interviewed 150 residents, and hope to complete the survey by the end of September.
The ZIP Code Project has already completed several other action steps, including a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the reasons to quit tobacco, dispel misinformation, and boost individual self-efficacy of smokers. ZIP Code staff have also conducted community meetings to raise awareness that included door prizes as incentives to attend.
|
