Reducing Tobacco Exposures Among African American Women and Children

Secondhand smoke exposure in the home can causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, respiratory illnesses, and ear infections in children. In addition to cigarette smoke, exposure to other tobacco products can further compromise the safety of children in the home. This study aims to reduce the burden of multiple tobacco exposures, improve access to preventive care, and reduce the disproportionate risk for chronic diseases, including cancer, among African American women and children living in the Arkansas Delta region. Our central hypothesis is that messages delivered by a community health worker that aim to modify knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and subjective norms may influence the perceived threat of tobacco exposures and provide cues for African American women caregivers to implement comprehensive smokefree policies to protect their children from the harms of tobacco and in-turn, influence their quitting.