Table 1.

Description of the community readiness measure by dimension

Dimension	Number of Items	Sample item
Community’s Knowledge includes the activities and approaches to educate the community about the negative effects of SHS exposure	13	In the past year, has your group or coalition aired radio commercials about secondhand smoke? (yes/no response)
Community’s Leadership is the support of appointed leaders and influential community members	12	On a scale of 1–5, how much leadership for smoke-free policy development does the local health department director provide? (ordinal response)
Community’s Resources are the people, money, time, equipment and space dedicated to smoke-free policy development	14	Has your group or coalition contacted the American Cancer Society? [for possible partnerships] (yes/no response)
Community’s Climate are the community’s norms that influence smoke-free policy development	12	On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 indicating unfavorable and 5 very favorable, how do your local media portray secondhand smoke and smoke-free issues? (e.g., newspaper; 1–5 response)
Existing smoke-free policies include the voluntary policies currently existing in the community	11	Within your community, which of the following have voluntarily implemented indoor smoke-free policies? (e.g., city government buildings; yes/no response)
Political climate is the influence of the political process and politics on smoke-free policy development	20	What is the position of each of the following local leaders on enacting a smoke-free law (e.g., Mayor of each city within county; for, against, uncommitted; health advocate survey)
		Is there at least one elected official in X County or City who has voiced public support for enactment of a smoke-free law? (yes/no response; elected official survey)

Note. Dimension score items are summed across key informants by county to create an overall stage of readiness score reflecting: Unawareness, Vague Awareness, Pre-planning, Preparation, Initiation, or Endorsement.