Evaluation of a Comprehensive Tobacco Cessation Curriculum for Dental Hygiene Programs

Abstract

Dental health care providers continue to offer inconsistent and limited tobacco use cessation (TUC) interventions even though smoking‐related morbidity and mortality continue to be a substantial health concern. Our purpose was to conduct a comprehensive, three‐year (2003–06) TUC curriculum evaluation that included assessment of existing TUC education offered; dental hygiene educators’ readiness to incorporate TUC education into the curriculum; and development of a pre‐test/post‐test assessment instrument and faculty development program. This curriculum study was carried out alongside a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer‐reviewed tobacco curriculum (Tobacco Free! Curriculum). Faculty members (baseline n=97; third‐year n=42) from the twelve dental hygiene associate degree programs in Illinois participated in the study, which included a pre‐treatment survey, six hours of on‐site TUC curriculum training, and a post‐treatment survey to determine the attitudes, perceived barriers, and current practices in tobacco education. Results showed an average increase of eighty‐five minutes spent on tobacco education in the dental hygiene curriculum, a large positive increase in the percentage of faculty members who formally assessed the use of 5As and 5Rs (21 percent to 88 percent), and a dramatic increase (+100) in the percentage of faculty members who taught or included most of the thirteen TUC content areas following the introduction of the curriculum and training program.