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"Breathe easy, smile bright" - Teen tobacco awareness
Bahr, Mackenzie DeLong, Maia Fenske, Megan Cruz, Brianna Renteria, Cittlali
Bahr, Mackenzie
DeLong, Maia
Fenske, Megan
Cruz, Brianna
Renteria, Cittlali
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2026-04-24
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Bahr, Mackenzie; DeLong, Maia; Fenske, Megan; Cruz, Brianna; Renteria, Cittlali; Moya, Tracie. 2026. "Breathe easy, smile bright" - Teen tobacco awareness. -- In Proceedings: 25th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum. Wichita, KS: Wichita State University.
Abstract
Tobacco use among adolescents poses a significant risk to oral and systemic health, with increasing use of smokeless tobacco products among high school students in Wichita, Kansas. This community-based project aims to increase awareness of tobacco-related oral health consequences and promote tobacco cessation among susceptible youth populations. An educational presentation was given at a public high school to students aged 14 to 18 years old, with a high proportion of underserved minority students. The intervention includes an interactive educational presentation addressing tobacco use, oral health consequences, and cessation strategies, along with classroom discussions, pre- and post- surveys, and the distribution of educational materials and cessation resources. Post presentation findings indicate an increased student awareness of the oral health effects of tobacco use, including gum disease, tooth discoloration, delayed healing, and oral cancer. Students demonstrated an increase in understanding of available cessation resources and showed interest in quitting or avoiding tobacco use. Approximately twenty-five percent of participants disclosed current or prior tobacco use. These findings demonstrate that school-based tobacco education programs effectively improve oral health knowledge and support tobacco prevention as well as cessation. Expanding the role of oral health professionals in school and community settings has the potential to help reduce oral health disparities and promote long-term health outcomes among at-risk adolescents.
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Presented to the 25th Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum (URCAF) held in Woolsey Hall, Wichita State University, April 24, 2026.
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Wichita State University
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URCAF;v.25