title: Support for smoke-free multi-unit housing policies among racially and ethnically diverse, low-income seniors in South Florida.
abstract: Previous studies have gauged support for implementing smoke-free multi-unit housing (MUH) policies in the United States, but none have specifically examined attitudes among racially and ethnically diverse elders living in low-income MUH. We surveyed a convenience sample of elders 62 years of age and older (n = 807) across 24 low-income housing properties in Broward County, Florida in order to assess residents' smoking behaviors, exposure to second-hand smoke, and support for smoke-free policies. The study sample was ethnically and racially diverse with Hispanics comprising more than 61 % of the population, and 22 % identifying as Black or other races. Although close to 22 % of the sample were former smokers, only 9 % of residents reported being current smokers. The majority of residents surveyed supported no-smoking policies: 75 % support no-smoking policies for individual units; 77 % supported no-smoking policies in common areas; and, 68 % supported no-smoking policies in outdoor areas. Over 29 % of residents surveyed reported being exposed to secondhand smoke entering their units from elsewhere in their building. Residents who reported having a home smoking rule were more than twice as likely to support an indoor policy compared to residents who allowed smoking anywhere in their home (OR = 2.36; 95%CI 1.25-4.43; p ≤ 0.01), and nonsmoking residents were nearly three times as likely to support an indoor policy compared to smokers (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.44-5.79; p ≤ 0.01). Support for an indoor policy was not modified by age, gender, ethnicity or race. . This study demonstrates that elders living in low-income MUH properties overwhelmingly supported the implementation of smoke-free policies.
authors.affiliation: Master of Public Health Program, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33328, USA, nc570@nova.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hollar
authors.forename: Summer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Teina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DeLucca
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corrales
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006306:Health Surveys; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D011638:Public Housing / Q000592:standards*; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires