Equipping partners with local data to advance tobacco-free policies

Rajulu, Deepa

Wednesday, August 15, 2012: 3:30 PM

2503B (Kansas City Convention Center)

Ms. Deepa Rajulu, MS , Bureau of Chronic Disease Evaluation and Research, Division of Chronic Disease, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY

Dr. Harlan Juster, Ph.D. , Bureau of Chronic Disease Evaluation and Research, NYS Department of Health, Albany, NY

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Recognize the importance of local data in informing influential decision makers in advancing tobacco-free policies. Identify opportunities and list key steps involved in building funded community contractors’ capacity to localize data.

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Tobacco Control Movement – Skills Building and Tobacco Control Policies

Audience: Program coordinators and evaluators will understand the need to equip partners with local data to help make a strong case for tobacco control policies. New York State Tobacco Control Program’s (NYS TCP) transition from local level impact evaluations to assisting partners to attain localized data will be useful to other states looking to prioritize program resources.

Key Points: Funded community contractors were required to dedicate up to 10% of their grant funds towards local level impact evaluations. Over the years this requirement evolved such that partners now collect local data to garner decision maker support for tobacco-free policy initiatives. Evaluation staff provided technical assistance to funded community contractors to develop survey instruments and administer county-level surveys. All survey protocols were approved by the Institutional Review Board. Questions were modeled after the statewide Adult Tobacco Survey and tailored towards individual communities by including locally relevant issues. Specialized surveys, such as landlord and tenant surveys for tobacco-free housing initiatives, were also administered in a majority of the counties.

Educational Experience: The audience will learn about successful case studies using results from community and specialized surveys that were used to inform decision makers in advancing tobacco-free policies.

Benefits: Benefits to the audience include learning about the opportunities to build local contractor capacity to engage decision makers. They will identify opportunities to incorporate relevant local data supporting tobacco-free policy initiatives in educating their decision makers and mobilizing their local communities.