Evaluation of the Montana American Indian Tobacco Use Prevention Program

The Montana Department of Public Health’s efforts to reduce the toll of tobacco use include a program tailored to reach American Indian communities.

American Indian tobacco prevention specialists from 10 tribes implement culturally appropriate interventions aimed at reducing the use of commercial tobacco while educating community members and youth about traditional tobacco. JBA designed an evaluation that helped program staff and tribal stakeholders measure results, improve the program, and reduce the use of commercial tobacco.

The project included—

• Developing a logic model to describe how the program operates across the 10 communities
• Developing an evaluation plan that included evaluation questions, instruments, and a data collection protocol
• Developing and testing surveys for youth and adults participating in tobacco use prevention activities
• Training local staff to conduct the evaluation, including collecting data and using the data to inform services
• Supporting staff with gaining tribal and institutional review board approval, implementing the evaluation, and planning for sustainability

Evaluation planning activities were carried out in close collaboration with Montana Department of Public Health staff and tribal tobacco prevention specialists.