Purpose: This study examined characteristics and patterns of interorganizational networks for smoking prevention and cessation in Korea.
Methods: We surveyed community health centers (n=2), hospitalsclinics (n=95), pharmacies (n=92), and health welfare organizations (n=65) in two districts of Seoul in 2020. Data on the organizations’ characteristics of smoking cessation and interorganizational activities for information sharing, client referral, and program collaboration were collected and analyzed using network statistics and blockmodeling.
Results: Network size was in the order of information sharing, client referral, and program collaboration networks. Network patterns for interorganizational activities on information sharing, client referral, and program collaboration among 4 organizations were similar between the two districts. Community health centers provided information toward and received clients from a majority of the organizations. Community health centers’ interactions were not unidirectional but mutual with other organizations. And, pharmacies were involved in information sharing with health welfare organizations and client referrals to hospitalsclinics.
Health welfare organizations were mainly connected with the community health centers for client referrals and program collaboration.
Conclusions: A community health center is the lead agency in interorganizational activities for smoking prevention and cessation. Meanwhile, hospitalsclinics, pharmacies, and health welfare organizations are also participating in interorganizational networks for smoking prevention and cessation with different roles. This study would be evidence for developing future interorganizational networks for smoking prevention and cessation.