The globalization of the tobacco epidemic, with particular increases in use in low and middle income countries, points to the need for research partnering between investigators from high income countries with well-developed tobacco research programs and their counterparts in low and middle income countries. The proposed project is designed to establish and evaluate tobacco awareness and cessation activities and to build research capacity in the Dominican Republic (DR) using the existing infrastructure of high technology LINCOS containers currently established in sites around the country. Harnessing existing technology to bring culturally appropriate tobacco interventions to both rural and urban dwellers, and to populations with a range of education, knowledge, and literacy skills, can bring tobacco control activities into the 21st century in a way that is replicable, maintainable, and translatable globally. The DR is an ideal site for this project, as it has among the highest smoking rates in the region with little evidence of systematic tobacco control procedures in place, and is the most advanced in its use of the LINCOS containers so can serve as a beach head for replication of effective tobacco intervention models to other low and middle income countries that will be adopting the LINCOS technologies globally. The proposed project will establish international and local professional and community working groups to guide the development of interventions targeting adult tobacco users in 6 communities in the DR. Interventions will include LINCOS-based video and easily navigable interactive web-based awareness-raising and cessation programs, with referral from healthcare providers trained in brief tobacco use screening and counseling, and from direct community awareness-raising programs. A methods development trial will randomize six communities to intervention or delayed intervention control conditions. Infrastructures for tobacco use and tobacco-related disease monitoring will be developed with local partners.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01TW005945-05
Application #
7093145
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1-SRRB-Q (M1))
Program Officer
Primack, Aron
Project Start
2002-07-01
Project End
2008-06-30
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2008-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$455,606
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Ossip, Deborah J; Diaz, Sergio; QuiƱones, Zahira et al. (2016) Lessons Learned from Twelve Years of Partnered Tobacco Cessation Research in the Dominican Republic. J Smok Cessat 11:99-107
Dozier, Ann M; Diaz, Sergio; Guido, Joseph et al. (2014) Cohort study of smoke-free homes in economically disadvantaged communities in the Dominican Republic. Rev Panam Salud Publica 35:30-7
Torres, Essie T; Guido, Joseph; de Monegro, Zahira QuiƱones et al. (2014) Understanding sociodemographic and sociocultural factors that characterize tobacco use and cessation during pregnancy among women in the Dominican Republic. Matern Child Health J 18:2275-83
Dozier, Ann M; Ossip, Deborah J; Diaz, Sergio et al. (2009) Health care workers in the Dominican Republic: self-perceived role in smoking cessation. Eval Health Prof 32:144-64
Ossip-Klein, Deborah J; Fisher, Susan; Diaz, Sergio et al. (2008) Tobacco use in six economically disadvantaged communities in the Dominican Republic. Nicotine Tob Res 10:851-60
Dozier, A M; Ossip-Klein, D J; Diaz, S et al. (2006) Tobacco use in the Dominican Republic: understanding the culture first. Tob Control 15 Suppl 1:i30-6