Smoking-Free Policies and Smoking Behaviors among Historically Black Colleges and Universities Students in the United States

Abstract

Background: There is limited research on the impact of smoke-free policies on students’ attitudes and smoking behaviors at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. This study examined African American students’ attitudes toward differential smoke-free campus policies and their smoking behavior at two HBCUs in the Mid-Atlantic region. Methods: In this original study, 202 African American undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at two urban HBCUs participated and completed the online and in-person surveys conducted between October and December 2019. Descriptive statistics (Chi-square χ2 and t-statistics) and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine differences in smoking attitudes and behaviors prompted by smoking-free policies. Results: One of the two surveyed HBCUs supported a comprehensive smoke-free policy (CSFP), which prohibits any tobacco use, including smoking, anywhere on campus at any time. The other HBCU followed a regular smoke-free policy (RSFP), which limits smoking to certain designated areas. The majority of students at the two schools reported that the smoke-free policy had not affected their smoking behavior. The multivariable analysis did not indicate a statistically significant association between students’ attitudes toward smoke-free policies and their smoking behavior. Furthermore, the difference in smoking prevalence between the two schools was not statistically significant by policy type. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Smoke-free polices have the potential to educate students about the risk of smoking and improve their attitudes about it. Implementing and enforcing a comprehensive or regular smoke-free policy is an essential step toward providing a healthy learning environment for students. Understanding the context-specific factors that contribute to smoking behaviors among African American students would provide additional important insights to policymakers in developing more effective programs for students at HBCUs.