Abstract A002: Leveraging resources through the Translational Research Institute to engage communities in tobacco-related health disparities research
Authors: Davis Anna Huff , Cottoms Naomi , Hale Rachel , Donald Katherine , Hsu Ping Ching , Kulik Margarete , Bryant-Moore Keneshia , Su Joseph , Spencer Nicola , Ruffin Candace , Ivy Yana , Fagan Pebbles 
Published: August 2020

Purpose: Cigarette smoking-attributable cancer mortality is highest among African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS). In 2016, 13.5% of African American women in the United States smoked compared to 19.8% of African American women in Arkansas. Comprehensive smoke-free policies in the home play a critical role in reducing tobacco exposures and increasing quitting, but policy implementation is often a challenge. This study describes the collaborative process used to engage community in providing feedback on study methods for a randomized trial designed to increase the implementation of smoke-free policies in the homes of African American women smokers who live in rural distressed counties in the Arkansas Delta.

Methods: Four Community Review Boards (CRB) (n=38) were conducted in collaboration with the Translational Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. CRBs are expert community panels who provide feedback on research studies. Our study team worked with TRI's Community Engagement (CE) Core and the CE and Dissemination Core of the Arkansas Center for Health Disparities to recruit African American women smokers aged 18-50 years to obtain input on our study methods. CRBs were co-facilitated by staff from April to June 2018 in rural AR counties. Staff obtained feedback on the collection of biologic samples; surveys; recruitment and retention; use of the tobacco Quitline; incentives; project name and logo; and volunteer board development.

Results: CRB I experts felt comfortable with research staff collecting saliva samples from children in the home, but expressed concerns about providing blood or urine samples. Some experts preferred paper, while others preferred short computer-based surveys. None of the experts was interested in using the tobacco Quitline. CRB II experts expressed the need for community development activities (e.g., spa day, support groups) and monetary and nonmonetary incentives such as the nicotine patch. Experts emphasized the need to engage community women in recruitment efforts due to distrust of outsiders. CRB III experts suggested that we incentivize a volunteer board to assist with recruitment. Experts in CRB III and IV selected recruitment messages and delivery channels (e.g., flyers, word of mouth, Facebook). Experts prioritized recruitment activities brainstormed in CRB II, described how to organize the activities, and selected incentives (e.g., Walmart and Dollar General gift cards) and promotional items (e.g., tee-shirts). Experts in CRB IV identified a project name and logo (Families Rising to Enforce Smokefree Homes). An unintended consequence was that women participated in the CRBs because they wanted to quit smoking.

Conclusions: CRBs are often a one-time event conducted by researchers seeking expert community opinions. Our repeated sessions conducted with TRI increased our knowledge of community needs, culture, and how to adapt our study methods to address community needs.

Citation Format: Anna Huff Davis, Naomi Cottoms, Rachel Hale, Katherine Donald, Ping Ching Hsu, Margarete Kulik, Keneshia Bryant-Moore, Joseph Su, Nicola Spencer, Candace Ruffin, Yana Ivy, Pebbles Fagan. Leveraging resources through the Translational Research Institute to engage communities in tobacco-related health disparities research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A002.