OBJECTIVES: Guam has the highest smoking rate in the United States. This study examined Guam community leaders' attitudes toward cigarette smoking and their interest in changing local tobacco control policies. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Guam community leaders completed surveys while attending local professional conferences or meetings. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-three percent of the respondents were female; the mean age was 46 years (SD = 15), and over 86% were from ethnic minority groups (47% Filipino, 28% Chamorro, 10% Asian, 2% other Pacific Island groups). About 30% reported being native Guamanian, and of those who immigrated to Guam had lived on Guam a mean of 17 years (SD = 11). OUTCOMES: Tobacco use was rated as a serious problem for Guam by 73% of the leaders surveyed, and a majority agreed that stricter tobacco control policies were needed on Guam. RESULTS: When asked to rate their preferences for tobacco control efforts on Guam, most (63%) preferred to focus on cessation efforts and 55% wanted to focus on smoke-free public places. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided critical insight about community leader support for stronger tobacco control measures on Guam, especially with respect to smoking cessation and smoke-free environments. Such a consensus of opinions could become a catalyst to promote community-wide tobacco control policies and programs. In addition, this study may provide a platform for future research on the structure and effectiveness of community leader support in a multicultural environment.
OBJECTIVES: Guam has the highest smoking rate in the United States. This study examined Guam community leaders' attitudes toward cigarette smoking and their interest in changing local tobacco control policies. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Guam community leaders completed surveys while attending local professional conferences or meetings. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-three percent of the respondents were female; the mean age was 46 years (SD = 15), and over 86% were from ethnic minority groups (47% Filipino, 28% Chamorro, 10% Asian, 2% other Pacific Island groups). About 30% reported being native Guamanian, and of those who immigrated to Guam had lived on Guam a mean of 17 years (SD = 11). OUTCOMES: Tobacco use was rated as a serious problem for Guam by 73% of the leaders surveyed, and a majority agreed that stricter tobacco control policies were needed on Guam. RESULTS: When asked to rate their preferences for tobacco control efforts on Guam, most (63%) preferred to focus on cessation efforts and 55% wanted to focus on smoke-free public places. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided critical insight about community leader support for stronger tobacco control measures on Guam, especially with respect to smoking cessation and smoke-free environments. Such a consensus of opinions could become a catalyst to promote community-wide tobacco control policies and programs. In addition, this study may provide a platform for future research on the structure and effectiveness of community leader support in a multicultural environment.