Date of Award

1-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

College/School/Department

Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior

Content Description

1 online resource (ix, 207 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Christine T Bozlak

Committee Members

Tomoko Udo, Jaime Caravaca-Morera

Keywords

Costa Rica, Curriculum, Electronic Cigarette Cessation, Electronic Cigarettes, Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Control, Electronic cigarettes, Smoking cessation

Subject Categories

Public Health

Abstract

Newer tobacco products are becoming widely popular in recent years, especially among youth and young adults. New technologies, such as electronic cigarettes, focus on efficiently delivering the addictive substance nicotine into the body while simulating conventional smoking behavior without burning tobacco (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2019). Due to the addictiveness of nicotine, there is a high biological plausibility of high levels of nicotine dependence among electronic cigarette users. Consequently, there is a need for specific interventions for priority populations at risk, requiring research studies that provide evidence for future action and strategic planning purposes. The 2015 Costa Rican Ministry of Health data showed that 1.3% of the population (47,519 people) were using electronic cigarettes. Regarding tobacco cessation, since 2005, the CCSS has offered tobacco cessation through the program called "Clinicas de Cesación de Tabaco" (CCT). This dissertation research aimed to conduct an organizational assessment to inform the development of an electronic cigarette cessation curriculum for the CCSS practitioners in Costa Rica. This assessment included a description of the systemic and organizational practices related to tobacco cessation with particular attention to electronic cigarettes at the CCSS; an identification of the CCSS' practitioners' training in electronic cigarette cessation; current cessation practices, barriers, and needs related to an electronic cigarette cessation curriculum for CCSS practitioners; and a proposal of specific recommendations for implementing an electronic cigarette cessation curriculum for the CCSS clinics. The Planned Change Model by Lippitt et al. (1958) and the Framework for Change by Ferlie and Shortell (2001) are two theories integrated into the conceptual framework that guided the proposed research study. This study utilized a qualitative and case study methodological approach with key informant semi-structured interviews with CCSS staff and document analysis. This study used the content analysis method to analyze the data. The study was conducted in 2022 and 2023 after the approval of the dissertation committee, the CCSS Subarea of Bioethics in Research, and the University at Albany Institutional Review Board. The findings from this study clearly suggest that the CCT program is following best practices for conventional cigarette tobacco cessation. In terms of electronic cigarette cessation, there is a lack of standardized procedure that allows the CCT program to offer electronic cigarette cessation services to the population. Also, this study found that although some practitioners acknowledged knowing about electronic cigarettes, this knowledge is not uniform throughout the CCT program. Additionally, all the practitioners interviewed expressed a lack of knowledge about electronic cigarette cessation methods. The study concludes with recommendations for the next steps for the CCSS regarding addressing electronic cigarettes as part of the CCT program.

Download

Included in

Public Health Commons

Share

COinS