Student pharmacists provide tobacco use prevention education to elementary school children: A pilot experience

Abstract

Background and purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe a service learning experience involving tobacco prevention education and to measure the education's effect on the learners' knowledge of tobacco products.

Educational activity and setting: Student pharmacists planned and presented a 40-min tobacco prevention education program using the Tar Wars curriculum to fourth and fifth grade students at three suburban elementary schools in Western Massachusetts. Mean scores on a five-question assessment given to school age children before and after the presentation were compared. A total of 206 elementary school students in ten classrooms participated.

Findings: The average survey score increased from 1.87 on the pre-survey to 3.72 out of a maximum of five on the post-survey (P<0.01).

Discussion and summary: Student pharmacists provided tobacco prevention education to three suburban elementary schools. The children demonstrated an increase in short-term knowledge regarding tobacco use. Tobacco prevention is a unique co-curricular opportunity for student pharmacists to get involved in their community.

Keywords: Public health; Student pharmacist; Tar Wars; Tobacco education.