Christopher M. Seitz

Using the Photovoice Method to Advocate for Change to a Campus Smoking Policy

Abstract Objective: The authors used the photovoice method as a strategy for empowering students to advocate for change of a campus smoking policy. Participants: Participants included 49 college students and 160 photo-exhibit attendees during spring 2011. Methods: Students were trained in the use of the photovoice method and a public exhibit was used to educate the campus community and advocate for change. Results: The photovoice initiative resulted in an effective platform for students to successfully advocate for the relocation of ashtrays that were in violation of the policy and for the elicitation of future advocacy targets. Conclusions: The photovoice project provided a platform for students to have their views heard by campus community members and policymakers. The project served as a useful tool for grassroots student advocacy. Those interested in addressing campus health policy issues may want to consider conducting a photovoice project similar to the one described in this article.

Quantifying littered cigarette butts to measure effectiveness of smoking bans to building perimeters.

Abstract Objective: The authors estimated the number of violations of a university policy that prohibited smoking within 25 ft of all campus buildings. Participants: The project was conducted by 13 student researchers from the university and a member of the local public health department. Methods: Students quantified cigarette butts that were littered in a 30-day period inside the prohibited smoking area of 7 campus buildings (large residential hall, small residential hall, administrative building, 2 academic buildings, campus cafeteria, and student union). Results: Investigators found a total of 7,861 cigarette butts (large residential hall: 1,198; small residential hall: 344; administrative building: 107; 2 academic buildings: 1,123 and 806; campus cafeteria: 2,651; and student union: 1,632). Conclusions: Findings suggest that there is low compliance with the universitys smoking policy. The described project may be repeated by students at other universities as a method to advocate for policy change.

Conducting public health photovoice projects with those who are homeless: A review of the literature

Abstract ‘Photovoice’ is a photographic method that is used for several purposes (e.g. storytelling, building awareness, enhancing personal discovery), including conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR). Since its creation, photovoice has been used as a method for implementing health-related CBPR projects with people experiencing homelessness. As such, this article presents an overview of seven peer-reviewed publications regarding photovoice projects that were conducted with participants who are homeless. The goal of the review is to provide health professionals with a practical summary of the lessons learned from each photovoice projects methods and findings. Based on the literature, the reviews major suggestion is that health professionals should plan and implement future projects according to the fundamental aspects of photovoice (e.g. empowerment of participants to document their community, facilitation of group discussions of photos, concerted efforts to reach policymakers).

Enforcing a Tobacco-Free Campus through an Ambassador-Based Program: A Phenomenology.

Abstract Objective: This phenomenology explored the experiences of those involved in a campus-based Ambassador program that enforced a tobacco-free policy at a public university in Montana. Participants: During the programs initial implementation (spring 2014), researchers observed and interviewed 21 Ambassadors and 19 policy violators. Methods: Researchers observed and recorded field notes of Ambassadors promoting the policy to the campus community and interacting with policy violators. Researchers invited Ambassadors and violators to be interviewed regarding their experiences with the program. Results: Although Ambassadors enjoyed promoting the policy and sensed an increase in recognition by others, they also felt uncomfortable and had mixed feelings regarding their level of authority. Violators also felt uncomfortable, yet the majority described the experience with the program as positive. Conclusions: The findings from the study can be used to inform those considering the implementation of an Ambassador program on their campus.

Protest of Tobacco-free Policies on College Campuses: a Historical Analysis

Purpose: Although the threat of protest may be a barrier toward implementing a tobacco policy on college campuses in the USA, the prevalence and severity of such opposition has yet to be investigated. The purpose of this paper was to determine how often campus communities protest against smoke-free policies and rate the disruptiveness of the protests.Design/methodology/approach: Researchers located and analyzed news reports regarding 21 protests over newly implemented or proposed policies on college campuses in the USA.Findings: Protests over college campus smoking policies are typically non-disruptive and consist of a small group of students who publicly smoke tobacco products and attempt to gain support of fellow students.Practical implications: Those advocating for campus tobacco policies should be aware that the campus community may protest, but that a heightened concern of a protests effect on the campus community may be unfounded.Originality/value: To authors’ knowledge, research studies regarding opposition to anti-tobacco policies cannot be found in the literature. This paper may be used as a practical resource by advocates to educate campus administrators about the low turnout and lack of severity of any possible protest to a new campus tobacco policy.

The Reading Level of Government and Voluntary Health Organization Smoking Cessation Websites: A Descriptive Analysis

ABSTRACT Background: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that health material be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level to ensure readability. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the readability of online smoking cessation materials from several government and voluntary health organizations. Methods: A purposive sample of publicly accessible governmental and voluntary health organization websites was selected. The readability of the websites’ smoking cessation information was estimated using the previously validated SMOG readability formula, which determined reading level by correlating the number of polysyllabic words. Results: Of the 55 websites included in the analysis, none had cessation information at the USDHHS’s recommended reading level. The material ranged in reading level from seventh grade to a third year in college. Discussion: The findings indicate that the online cessation materials need to be modified in order to reach recommended reading levels. Translation to Health Education Practice: This study can be of practical use to Health Educators when designing, modifying, and evaluating smoking cessation materials. Several free, online government resources are available to assist Health Educators in using simple, non-polysyllable words to ensure that smoking cessation materials are written at the recommended reading levels.

Student, Faculty, and Staff Approval of University Smoke/Tobacco-Free Policies: An Analysis of Campus Newspaper Articles:

Objective: To provide a nontraditional source of data to university policymakers regarding student, faculty, and staff approval of university smoke/tobacco-free policies, as published through campus newspaper articles. Methods: From January to April 2016, a total of 2523 articles were retrieved concerning campus smoking/tobacco at 4-year, public universities. Of these, 54 articles met the inclusion factors, which described 30 surveys about campus approval of tobacco-free policies and 24 surveys about smoke-free policies. Results: In all, the surveys included more than 130 000 respondents. With the exception of 4 surveys, all reported that the most of the respondents approved a tobacco/smoke-free campus policy. Conclusions: Although the study had several limitations, the findings provide a synthesis from a nontraditional data source that is consistent with findings from the peer-reviewed literature, in which most of the students, faculty, and staff on university campuses approve of smoke/tobacco-free campus policies.

Burn injuries caused by e-cigarette explosions:A systematic review of published cases

INTRODUCTION E-cigarettes have the potential to cause burns from batteries that explode. Although e-cigarette explosion burns have been reported by the media (e.g. local online news, blogs), there is a need for a comprehensive review of published medical case reports regarding these injuries. METHODS CINAHL and PubMed were systematically searched using common terms regarding e-cigarettes (electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, vape, vaping, electronic nicotine delivery systems) in every combination with the term ‘explosion’. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they: were written in English, described case reports of burn injuries caused by e-cigarette explosions, and were published in any year. Cases were categorized by demographics, location of the e-cigarette explosion, burned body areas, types of burns, total body surface area of burns, the need for skin grafting, and the length of hospital stay. RESULTS Thirty-one articles were included in the review and described 164 cases. Most patients (90%) were male and between 20 to 29 years old. In the majority of cases (65%), e-cigarettes exploded in pockets, compared to exploding in the face or hand. Common burned areas included the thigh, hand, genitals, and face. Burn severity was typically second-degree burns (35%) or a combination of second-degree and third-degree burns (20%). In all, 48 patients required skin grafting, with 19 reporting a median hospital stay of 5 days. CONCLUSIONS This review has several implications, including the need for regulation of batteries, education regarding battery safety, and leveraging images of the severity of e-cigarette explosion burns to discourage the use of e-cigarettes.

Student Experiences With Community-Based Enforcement of a Smoke-Free University

A common approach to enforcing a university smoke-free policy is through “community-based” enforcement, in which the entire campus community is responsible for asking smokers in violation to abide by the policy. The purpose of the study was to explore university students’ experiences with this strategy of enforcing a smoke-free policy. A total of 43 undergraduate students were interviewed regarding their experiences and opinions of community enforcement. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using phenomenological methods, in which six major themes emerged from the data: Fear (alarm that smokers might respond with verbal insults or physical violence), Situational (enforcing the policy depended on violators’ distance, group settings, strangers vs. peers), Protect Image (not wanting to be viewed as annoying, judgmental, or offensive), Lack of Authority (feeling a lack of authority to enforce the smoking policy), Compassion (empathy that violators smoke due to physical/emotional needs), and Enforcer (willingness to confront a policy violator). These findings reflected previous studies regarding people’s fear to ask a smoker to extinguish a cigarette, feelings of a lack of authority, and so on. The study demonstrated that using only a community-based approach to enforcement may not be a realistic responsibility to impose on an entire campus community.

College students’ perception of the flipped classroom: a phenomenographical study

The ‘flipped classroom’ has become popular among educators; however, research on the topic has been relatively sparse, especially in terms of qualitative research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore student perceptions of the flipped classroom. Undergraduate students who enrolled in a flipped public health course were invited to participate in the study. Thirteen students participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their thoughts and experiences regarding the flipped classroom. Students viewed the flipped classroom according to out-of-class and in-class activities. Students felt that out-of-class activities were convenient, accommodated different learning styles, and were important for being prepared for class time. In terms of in-class activities, students enjoyed interactive activities (e.g., hands-on activities, class discussions), but some viewed the activities as anxiety provoking. Students also viewed in-class activities as useful for building student-instructor rapport. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.