Twelve elders were included in the pre/post analysis. All twelve elders self-identified as American Indian women. The average age at 1 year follow-up was 64.
The design was a single group, pre-post test survey and post 1-year focus group. In the current evaluation, surveys were used to measure statistical changes in elder knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for individuals who took part in the project learning, support and community action opportunities provided as part of the intervention. A post 1-year CTW focus group was conducted with elder participants to explore their perceptions of project efficacy.
American Indian elders’ tobacco related knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors changed while participating in the Circles of Tobacco Wisdom (CTW) project. A number of themes were also identified as a result of the focus group. Major themes included feeling more comfortable talking about tobacco issues, learning a lot about traditional and commercial tobacco, and realizing how dangerous smoking.
The results of this study indicate that both quantitative and qualitative data collection are necessary in order to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of the CTW project.