Tobacco use cessation interventions for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and young adults: A scoping review

Abstract

Smoking prevalence among LGBTQ + youth and young adults is alarmingly high compared to their non-LGBTQ + peers. The purpose of the scoping review was to assess the current state of smoking prevention and cessation intervention research for LGBTQ + youth and young adults, identify and describe these interventions and their effectiveness, and identify gaps in both practice and research.A search for published literature was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and LGBT Life, as well as an in-depth search of the grey literature. All English articles published or written between January 2000 and February 2016 were extracted.The search identified 24 records, of which 21 were included; 11 from peer reviewed sources and 10 from the grey literature. Of these 21, only one study targeted young adults and only one study had smoking prevention as an objective. Records were extracted into evidence tables using a modified PICO framework and a narrative synthesis was conducted. The evidence to date is drawn from methodologically weak studies; however, group cessation counselling demonstrates high quit rates and community-based programs have been implemented, although very little evidence of outcomes exist. Better-controlled research studies are needed and limited evidence exists to guide implementation of interventions for LGBTQ + youth and young adults.This scoping review identified a large research gap in the area of prevention and cessation interventions for LGBTQ youth and young adults. There is a need for effective, community-informed, and engaged interventions specific to LGBTQ + youth and young adults for the prevention and cessation of tobacco.

LGBT friendly healthcare providers’ tobacco treatment practices and recommendations

“…This study's research participants echoed previous research findings suggesting that to reduce LGBT tobacco‐related disparities, healthcare providers must engage with the community in LGBT spaces and tailor smoking cessation interventions for sexual and gender minority populations . For example, a tailored, community engaged tobacco treatment program implemented in LGBT bars was successful in achieving a reduction in past 30‐day smoking .…”

“…15,18 This study's research participants echoed previous research findings suggesting that to reduce LGBT tobacco-related disparities, healthcare providers must engage with the community in LGBT spaces 42 and tailor smoking cessation interventions for sexual and gender minority populations. 33,43,44 For example, a tailored, community engaged tobacco treatment program implemented in LGBT bars was successful in achieving a reduction in past 30-day smoking. 45 Additionally, leveraging online spaces, social media, 46 and text messages as tobacco cessation intervention venues could appeal to some LGBT individuals and enhance outreach opportunities in a cost-effective manner.…”

A qualitative study of tobacco interventions for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults: overarching themes and key learnings

“…Participants were asked to share their opinions, likes and dislikes regarding three hypothetical intervention descriptions: 1) GCC; 2) social marketing (SM) with four potential ad campaign ideas; and 3) mobile phone app (MPA) with social media (see Table 1 ). The hypothetical intervention descriptions were developed based on findings from a scoping review of the published and grey literature on LGBTQ+ tobacco use prevention and cessation interventions [ 14 ], and consultation with community health centres where LGBTQ+ YYA receive services. The same scenarios were used across all the FGs, with the facilitators ensuring that the description of the scenario was appropriate to the LGBTQ+ FG session being held (e.g., the scenario referred to lesbian youth for a FG session with lesbian youth participants).…”

“…There is a dearth of published research on the effectiveness of tobacco use interventions designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ YYA population [ 14 ]. Efforts to reach LGBTQ+ YYA have tended to utilize the same approach to reach each segment of this diverse population, meaning approaches do not tend to differentiate outreach to lesbian, gay, or bisexual people, or individuals who identify as trans or queer.…”

“…Cross-sectional surveys were collected in Las Vegas, Nevada LGBT bars at two time points one year apart and results indicated that 53% of respondents reported exposure to the CRUSH campaign and of those, 86% understood the campaign message [ 21 ]. Despite the importance of this research for reaching LGBTQ+ young adult smokers, most programs are targeted to LGBTQ+ older adults and have not undergone rigorous testing to determine their effectiveness as they primarily rely on repeated measures rather than more rigorous controlled designs [ 14 , 16 ].…”