title: Characterizing Cardiovascular Health and Evaluating a Low-Intensity Intervention to Promote Smoking Cessation in a Food-Assistance Population.
abstract: Food assistance recipients are at higher risk for poor cardiovascular health given their propensity to poor dietary intake and tobacco use. This study sought to evaluate the cardiovascular health status, and determine the impact of a low-intensity smoking cessation education intervention that connected mobile food pantry participants to state quit-smoking resources. A pre-post design with a 6-week follow-up was used to evaluate the impact of a 10-12 min smoking cessation education session implemented in five food pantries in Delaware. Baseline cardiovascular health, smoking behaviors and food security status were assessed. Smoking cessation knowledge, intention to quit and use of the state quit line were also assessed at follow-up. Of the 144 participants 72.3% reported having hypertension, 34.3% had diabetes, 13.9% had had a stroke. 50.0% were current smokers. The low-intensity intervention significantly increased smoking cessation knowledge but not intention to quit at follow-up. Seven percent of current smokers reported calling the quit line. Current tobacco use was five times more likely in food insecure versus food secure adults (OR 4.98; p = 0.006), even after adjustment for demographic factors. Systems based approaches to address tobacco use and cardiovascular health in low-income populations are needed. The extent to which smoking cessation could reduce food insecurity and risk for cardiovascular disease in this population warrants investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, 26 North College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Mackenzie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perkett
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, 26 North College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, 26 North College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Varsha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kripalu
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, 26 North College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wysota
authors.affiliation: Food Bank of Delaware, 14 Garfield Way, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGarry
authors.affiliation: Food Bank of Delaware, 14 Garfield Way, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weddle
authors.affiliation: The Value Institute, Christiana Health Care System, 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Newark, DE, 19718, USA.
authors.forename: Mia A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Papas
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, 26 North College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA. fredap@udel.edu.
authors.forename: Freda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Community intervention; Food insecurity; Smoking cessation; Systems-approaches