The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: As many cities and states across the country are working to pass comprehensive clean indoor air laws, tobacco control advocates are turning to the voters for help. Senior adults not only can play a role in these campaigns as they represent a large voting block, they also are disproportionately impacted by secondhand smoke. Despite this, they are often overlooked. Therefore, research was conducted to further understand senior adults' opinions and attitudes toward secondhand smoke, to determine the most influential messages for increasing concern about secondhand smoke, and to identify credible spokespersons to carry and reinforce the messages.

Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted at various senior centers. Groups consisted between eight and twelve participants 60 years of age and older and were recruited through radio advertisements and flyers. Groups were conducted by a trained focus group facilitator. Phone survey research was conducted among 200 registered voters 60 and older, equally split between males and females.

Results: Focus group research revealed that while some believe that secondhand smoke is harmful, many are still skeptical that secondhand smoke has been proven to cause health problems and therefore believe protecting individual rights is more important than the risks of secondhand smoke. Phone survey research showed that senior women will readily adopt supportive opinion against secondhand smoke, while men require more detailed education on the range of facts. Seniors are most likely to respond to messages that focus on leaving a healthier legacy for their children and physicians were identified as the most credible spokesperson.