The Latino population is the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. with an annual growth rate of over 2% a year, and an estimated one million combined documented and undocumented immigrants each year. Given this population growth, the rates of smoking among Latino adults and increasing smoking prevalence among adolescents may disproportionately contribute to significant tobacco-related morbidity and mortality and associated health care costs. Physicians are increasingly seeing Latino patients during regular and emergent care visits. However, little evidence exists that Latino patients, especially those with low English language proficiency (LEP), are benefiting from clinician-initiated interventions known to control and eliminate tobacco use. And, more Latinos report problems with receiving sufficient care because of language difficulties than any other ethnic group. As a behavioral psychologist with training in public health and preventive medicine, and working in one of California's regions most populated with Latino persons, Stergios Tsai Roussos, Ph.D., M.P.H. is well positioned to extend and expand his training to address disparities in cancer prevention through physician-delivered tobacco control for Latino and LEP Latino populations. Career Development: Activities include training in cancer prevention and control, advanced biostatistics, research design, and epidemiology, research methods in LEP and non-English speaking communities, clinician-initiated tobacco control, and Latino health issues. Research Program: The goals of the research program are to better understand physician delivery of tobacco control services (e.g., screening, counseling) to Latino and LEP Latino persons, and to identity and test the feasibility of an intervention to increase these cancer prevention services. Two studies will be conducted. Study 1 is a formative study, combining focus group and survey methods to determine modifiable factors that may affect physician tobacco control services to Latino patients in general and those with LEP. Study 2 employs a prospective, multiple baseline design across two matched family practice residency clinics to test the efficacy of an intervention to increase physician's tobacco control with Latino patients. These studies combined with training and career development will enable Dr. Roussos to develop and launch a fully independent career in cancer prevention among minority populations in the U.S.
