163 Knowledge and Implementation of Tobacco Control Practices in Rural Louisiana Community Health Centers

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Tobacco use remains a significant public health problem in rural America. Community health centers (CHCs) can help reduce the burden of tobacco use in rural areas, but we know little about their knowledge and implementation of best practices for tobacco control. This study assessed the knowledge and existence of tobacco control practices in rural CHCs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Using a cross-sectional study design, we electronically surveyed health administrators and providers (n=64) in six rural CHCs in Louisiana between March 2021 and June 2023. The assessment measured 1) knowledge of the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use, 2) the priority given to smoking cessation programming, 3) the presence of best practices for tobacco control programming, such as having a tobacco control champion and team, 4) establishment of treatment and smoke-free campus policies, and 5) existence of referral procedure to external cessation services. We used descriptive statistics to characterize survey participants and responses. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Most of the respondents were female (80%), White (61.8%), between 35 and 49 years of age (48.1%), and non-smokers (72.7%). Only half (51.6%) reported knowledge of the guideline for treating tobacco use among all respondents. Only a third (32.8%) said their health center gave smoking cessation high priority relative to other health priorities. Only a third (35.9%) reported having a tobacco champion; less than a fifth (18.8%) said they had a tobacco control team at their health center. Although all health centers had a smoke-free campus policy, about a quarter (23.4%) were unaware of the policy. Less than a quarter (23.4%) reported having a written policy for smoking cessation treatment at their health center, and less than half (46.7%) knew about cessation services to which they could refer patients. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Rural CHCs had limited knowledge of the guideline for tobacco use treatment. Smoking cessation lacked priority, and the prevalence of tobacco control best practices implementation was low. Rural CHCs must improve their implementation of guideline-recommend policies and clinical strategies to promote treatment and reduce the burden of tobacco use.