Characteristics and participant perceptions of tobacco control coalitions in California

The 61 local health departments in California have been mandated to form tobacco control coalitions as part of Proposition 99, the 1988 Tobacco Tax Initiative. A self-administered survey of 361 coalition members and staff was conducted approximately 1.5 years after coalitions were formed to identify key characteristics, functions, problems and successes of the coalitions. This report summarizes some of the views of member and staff respondents to the survey. Significant differences exist between member and staff views of coalition roles and responsibilities and judgments of each others' expertise. While both members and staff place value on well-functioning tobacco control coalitions, the differences revealed between member and staff predictors of coalition functioning and outcome appear to be mediated by varying perceptions of the role of the coalition. These and other related findings support several key assumptions underlying coalition development, and have implications for both practice and research.