Yes You Can

Groundbreaking Smoking Cessation Study for Hispanics

Together - Summer 2009

By Rachel Winters

Having quit smoking through the Si Se Puede study, Irma is now making healthy lifestyle changes that include finding more time for herself and her passion for bowling.

Irma De La Fuente, 59, grew-up in Mexico surrounded by smokers. Smoking cigarettes was not just accepted in her community – it was part of it.

“In Mexico, smoking isn’t prohibited anywhere,” Irma says. “When I was growing-up, my entire family smoked, and as a very young girl, my mother would send me to light her cigarettes on the stove. I often felt like all of Mexico was smoking because I saw people doing it everywhere, even along the corridors in the hospitals.”

With a family of smokers and a community where the habit was a part of daily life, it is no surprise that Irma began smoking at age 15. Soon, she was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. Irma smoked heavily until March 2008, when she kicked the habit for good by joining
M. D. Anderson’s Si Se Puede, a smoking cessation study in the Houston area specifically designed for the Hispanic community.

Unique Study Targets Hispanic Community and Breaks Down Barriers
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death among Hispanics. Heart disease, cancer and stroke, top causes of death for Hispanics, are related to smoking. Despite these risks, Hispanic smokers living in the U.S. don’t often take part in smoking prevention research.

"Si Se Puede helps us understand how factors, such as cravings, support from friends or family, and stress and coping skills affect Spanish-speaking Hispanic smokers as they try to quit smoking or remain smoke-free,” says Carlos A. Mazas, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Health Disparities Research and the study’s principal investigator. “The study also looks at education level and ability to adjust to new cultures or environments to see if these factors are connected to quitting.”

Understanding the Smoker’s Mind and Environment
Si Se Puede uses personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, which are hand-held computers, to collect data from participants.

“By identifying factors that have an affect on a Hispanic person’s smoking behaviors and their ability/inability to quit, researchers will have a better understanding of how to design better smoking cessation programs for this population,” Mazas says. “This could lead to a drop in smoking and cancer-related death.”

The Si Se Puede study began recruiting participants in March 2008 and will continue recruitment through September 2010. Each smoker participates in a seven week session.

“Once I quit, I started to feel better almost instantly,” Irma says. “I felt cleaner, and I had more confidence when I hugged people. I wanted to hug my grandkids more. Living without cigarettes feels like running free on a beach somewhere.”

Enjoying the Benefits of Smoking Cessation
Since quitting, Irma has begun to think more about herself. She is now studying for her citizenship and trying to find enough free time to work on her bowling game.

People who join the Si Se Puede research study receive counseling, nicotine patches and self-help materials at no charge. To join, you must be Hispanic and speak Spanish. You also must be a current smoker, between the ages of 21 and 65, with a home address and working phone number. It is important to know that many people who try will not be able to quit smoking during the study. Quitting for good may take several tries.

For more information, contact the Si Se Puede study line at 713-745-0063.