Abstract C007: Building capacity in health clinics and community organizations serving LGBTQ+ communities on tobacco prevention
Authors: Cristanto Victor , Caro Alexandra , Balingit Reener , Surani Zul 
Published: September 2024

Background. Tobacco use remains a significant public health issue, particularly among the LGBTQ+ community. Los Angeles County, which is home to the second-largest LGBTQ+ population in the US, has notably higher prevalence of tobacco use compared to the general population, partly due to targeted marketing by the tobacco industry, social stressors, and discrimination. These factors contribute to higher rates of smoking and tobacco-related health disparities; however, little is known about the capacity of community-based organizations, clinical providers, support staff, and other personnel that work closely with the LGBTQ+ community to provide smoking cessation services. Methods. Cedars Sinai Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) assisted in the facilitation of conducting a needs assessment, Clinical Provider and Staff Survey, to assess the opinions of clinical providers and community leaders about tobacco cessation-related topics related to 1) Building culturally competent tobacco cessation services; 2) Reducing health disparities in tobacco cessation services; 3) Improving access to care (Medicaid/Medi-Cal access and uptake) for diverse populations that are affected by tobacco-related disparities; 4) Improving the utilization of tobacco cessation services. The survey was administered online from December 2022 to April 2023 with providers throughout Los Angeles County. Results. A total of 261 surveys were collected which revealed several key issues at the organization level: they do not prioritize tobacco screening, treatment, or referrals; there is no standardized process for client management; staff have limited knowledge on tobacco prevention and patient navigation; and there is limited staff capacity and funding. To address organizational-focused barriers, COE trained 147 clinical providers and staff from 4 local health clinics and organizations and on capacity building, including the basics of tobacco, evidence-based interventions like "Ask, Advice, Refer," and lung cancer screening. Additionally, to address Client/Patient-Focused Barriers for Organizations, such as: lack of motivation to quit, low perception of the severity of smoking, and a lack of culturally competent or targeted cessation resources, COE staff assisted in navigating resources, ensuring both providers and clients were aware of and could access relevant support services. This involved sharing LGBTQ+ affirming resources, including medical care, behavioral health, and housing, and referred smokers to gender-affirming cessation support groups. Conclusion. The survey highlighted the need to enhance service delivery and support for the LGBTQ+ community. With these findings, our COE staff were able to increase organizational capacity through training and education for clinical providers and staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in tobacco cessation and share gender-affirming resources and navigation, which are crucial towards improving the overall effectiveness of tobacco cessation services for LGBTQ+ populations.

Citation Format: Victor Cristanto, Alexandra Caro, Reener Balingit, Zul Surani. Building capacity in health clinics and community organizations serving LGBTQ+ communities on tobacco prevention [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C007.