Viviane McKay, Stephanie Herbers, Nancy Mueller, Ilina Moreno, Jenine Harris
Background
When war broke out in Bosnia‐Herzegovina in 1992, many Bosnian refugees resettled in St. Louis, Missouri. The region now has between 50,000 and 70,000 Bosnians, the largest population outside of the country of Bosnia‐Herzegovina. They have brought growth and revitalization to St. Louis along with their cultural and ethnic traditions. A part of their culture revolves around drinking coffee with family and friends and smoking. With funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, an assessment was conducted to understand the smoking behavior, cultural and historical influences, and cessation needs of the St. Louis Bosnian community. Findings from this assessment will guide the development and testing of a culturally‐tailored smoking cessation program for the Bosnian community.
