Addressing parental tobacco use in Somali immigrant families: Adapting an evidence-based intervention in pediatric primary care

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall long-term goal of this proposal is to provide the training, career development, and mentorship that will result in Dr. Wilhelm’s ability to develop an independent program of research that reduces tobacco-related health inequities among U.S. immigrants. The proposed study will modify an existing evidence-based parental tobacco cessation intervention (the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure, or CEASE) delivered in pediatric primary care clinics to address shared tobacco use determinants and barriers to smoking cessation treatment among Somali Americans, an immigrant population facing significant combustible tobacco use disparities. This new intervention, CEASE+, will increase access to and utilization of tobacco cessation resources for Somali parents. The goal of Aim 1 is 1a) to conduct focus groups with Somali parents who smoke and non-smokers who live with adults who smoke to identify how to modify clinic-based parental tobacco cessation treatment within pediatric primary care and 1b) to use these results to modify CEASE components and delivery to develop the new intervention, CEASE+. In Aim 2, we will conduct a pilot study of the new intervention, CEASE+, to evaluate its feasibility and acceptability for Somali parents. The goal of Aim 3 is to assess parent, clinician, and staff experiences with CEASE+ components and delivery strategies within pediatric primary care clinics to inform future modifications. Ultimately, the completion of this study will provide foundational data that will guide CEASE+ modifications for a future definitive test via a fully powered clinical trial in Somali immigrant populations. During the five years of this career development award, Dr. Wilhelm plans to develop expertise in 1) developing and refining tobacco prevention and control behavioral interventions using community-engaged research approaches, 2) using mixed methodologies within intervention development and testing, and 3) designing and conducting clinical trials. These areas of new training are essential for Dr. Wilhelm to be able to achieve her long-term career goal of becoming an independent investigator who develops and tests interventions aimed at reducing tobacco use within U.S. immigrant and refugee communities. The proposed research will be conducted within the M Health Fairview Health System, a large healthcare system affiliated with the University of Minnesota that serves a diverse population of immigrants and includes the site for Dr. Wilhelm’s clinical practice. Dr. Wilhelm has a strong mentorship team that includes world-renowned academic scientists in the fields of tobacco prevention and control and she has a rigorous career development plan that will support her continued development into a successful independent investigator. The result of this proposal and investment in Dr. Wilhelm’s continued training have the potential to dramatically reduce tobacco use disparities within U.S. immigrant populations and their downstream effects on immigrant families.