Renner Caroline C, Patten Christi A, Enoch Carrie, Petraitis John, Offord Kenneth P, Angstman Sarah, Garrison Andrew, Nevak Caroline, Croghan Ivana T, Hurt Richard D
Yukon--Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Bethel, AK, USA.
Prev Med. 2004 Apr;38(4):421-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2003.11.005.
Tobacco dependence interventions developed for Alaska Natives are virtually nonexistent. Alaska Natives residing on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y--K) Delta in southwestern Alaska use a unique form of smokeless tobacco (ST) known as Iqmik. This study employed focus group methodology to explore attitudes toward tobacco use and tobacco dependence interventions among Alaska Natives residing on the Y-K Delta.
Twelve focus groups of former and current tobacco users were conducted in four villages in the Y-K Delta. Participants were 35 adults (83% female) and 22 adolescents (27% female). Participants completed a brief demographic and tobacco use history form. Statements from the focus groups were transcribed for content coding and analysis of the major themes.
Use of Iqmik in the villages is thought to be ubiquitous. Y-K Delta Alaska Natives are introduced to Iqmik at a very young age. Iqmik is mostly used and prepared by young Alaska Natives and adult women. There are few perceived adverse health effects of Iqmik or other tobacco use. Although there is interest in stopping, there is a perceived lack of availability of tobacco dependence interventions. The major barriers to preventing the initiation of and stopping tobacco use are the social acceptance and widespread use and availability of tobacco.
The attitudes toward tobacco and identified barriers to stopping will be useful in developing tobacco dependence interventions for Alaska Natives.
为阿拉斯加原住民开发的烟草依赖干预措施几乎不存在。居住在阿拉斯加西南部育空-库斯科基姆（Y-K）三角洲的阿拉斯加原住民使用一种独特的无烟烟草形式，称为伊克米克（Iqmik）。本研究采用焦点小组方法，探讨居住在Y-K三角洲的阿拉斯加原住民对烟草使用和烟草依赖干预措施的态度。
在Y-K三角洲的四个村庄对12个由曾经和现在的烟草使用者组成的焦点小组进行了研究。参与者包括35名成年人（83%为女性）和22名青少年（27%为女性）。参与者填写了一份简短的人口统计学和烟草使用历史表格。焦点小组的陈述被转录下来，用于内容编码和主要主题分析。
人们认为伊克米克在这些村庄中随处可见。居住在Y-K三角洲的阿拉斯加原住民在很小的时候就开始接触伊克米克。伊克米克主要由阿拉斯加的年轻原住民和成年女性使用和制备。人们几乎没有察觉到伊克米克或其他烟草使用对健康有不良影响。尽管有戒烟的意愿，但人们认为缺乏烟草依赖干预措施。预防开始使用和停止使用烟草的主要障碍是社会对烟草的接受以及烟草的广泛使用和可得性。
对烟草的态度以及确定的戒烟障碍将有助于为阿拉斯加原住民制定烟草依赖干预措施。
