ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: We examined the development of a process designed to eliminate tobacco-related disparities in the state of Ohio and described how a cross-cultural work group used a multicomponent community planning process to develop capacity to address such disparities. METHODS: The community development model was used as a guide in the planning process. We employed a case study, focus groups, and telephone interviews to assess the process and collect data on tobacco use and awareness. We also employed the appreciative inquiry framework to create the organizational design for the Ohio Cross-Cultural Tobacco Control Alliance (CCTCA), which was formed from the cross-cultural work group and charged with addressing tobacco-related disparities in the state. RESULTS: Data on tobacco use and awareness were collected from 13 underserved populations. At the end of the planning process, the CCTCA was initiated along with structural capacity to serve as a new program incubator highlighting tobacco use and awareness levels in these populations. CONCLUSIONS: The CCTCA appeared to be an effective way to begin mobilizing agencies serving underserved populations by providing an operational structure to address tobacco-related disparities. The alliance also successfully implemented culturally competent community-based programs and policies to help eliminate disparities.
Subject(s)
Health Policy , Health Status Disparities , Public Health Practice , Science , Smoking/adverse effects , Social Justice , Bronchial Neoplasms/epidemiology , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Male , Ohio/epidemiology , Organizational Case Studies , Smoking/ethnology , Smoking/mortalityABSTRACT
This article reports on the results of a statewide assessment of the capacity-building needs of organizations that provide health services to ethnic minority groups in Ohio. The research addressed gaps in knowledge about the specific needs of these organizations for improved effectiveness and long-term sustainability. A telephone survey of 659 organizations, supplemented by focus groups with 37 participants in the state's largest cities, indicated substantial need and interest in capacity-building technical assistance in areas such as revenue-generating activities, marketing and public relations, information technology training, program evaluation, and board leadership development. The limited ability of these organizations to pay for the needed assistance creates challenges for planning approaches to meet these vital needs.
