An analysis of print and audiovisual materials to prevent smokeless tobacco use

Attitudes and behaviors of dental hygienists concerning tobacco use

This study surveyed a proportionate random sample of licensed dental hygienists in five states and the District of Columbia, to assess their antitobacco use behaviors and attitudes. The response rate was 79.4 percent. Descriptive data as well as chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Duncan's multiple range test statistical results were reported. Only 6.9 percent of the hygienists sampled currently smoked. These hygienists appeared to exhibit significantly different aggregate attitudes and select clinical practice behaviors than their nonsmoking counterparts. Years of employment and geographic location showed no significant relationship to aggregate clinical practice behaviors or attitudes, although each was related to individual behaviors and attitudes. Overall, dental hygienists appeared committed to involvement in both individualized and community-based antitobacco-use efforts. Measures to coordinate hygienists' involvement at both of these levels need to be enhanced.

Evaluating the impact of P.L. 99-252 on decreasing smokeless tobacco use

Literally, Public Law 99-252 (otherwise known as the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986) includes provisions that are informational in nature. Implicitly, however, this law is considered part of the federal effort in disease prevention and health promotion. This paper reviews the societal and legislative context of that act and presents a plan to evaluate the impact of this law on decreasing smokeless tobacco use. The uniqueness of this plan is its incorporation of nine disciplinary perspectives in the derivation of indicators to measure process, impact, and outcome measures for decreasing smokeless tobacco use. A basic prevention strategy is suggested by this interdisciplinary approach. In addition, specific lessons could be applied from the history of successes in public health to decreasing smokeless tobacco use.

P.L. 99-252--implications for dentists and their clinical practice

This paper is one of a series attempting to determine the impact of Public Law 99-252, the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986, on decreasing smokeless tobacco use. Potential indicators are discussed that could be used by the dental profession to determine the efficacy of the profession's involvement in existing and future prevention and cessation efforts relative to this law. In this review, six major areas are considered for measuring declines in smokeless tobacco use relative to the role of the dental health practitioner. These areas encompass the following: (1) the dental profession's knowledge of smokeless tobacco health hazards, (2) dental practitioners' involvement in measuring changes in use patterns, (3) the influence dentists have with their patients and community in decreasing smokeless tobacco use, (4) the general attitude and intention to quit on the part of dental patients, (5) active governmental involvement efforts, and (6) health effects of smokeless tobacco that might be used for identifying decreasing smokeless tobacco use. Within each of these six broad categories, more specific indicators for measuring the impact of P.L. 99-252 relative to the dental profession were considered.