Physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy: Two feasibility studies

Background  

Pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation have not been adequately tested in pregnancy and women are reluctant to use them. Behavioural support alone has a modest effect on cessation rates; therefore, more effective interventions are needed. Even moderate intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walk) reduces urges to smoke and there is some evidence it increases cessation rates in non-pregnant smokers. Two pilot studies assessed i) the feasibility of recruiting pregnant women to a trial of physical activity for smoking cessation, ii) adherence to physical activity and iii) womens' perceptions of the intervention.     

Using a realist approach to evaluate smoking cessation interventions targeting pregnant women and young people

Background  

This paper describes a study protocol designed to evaluate a programme of smoking cessation interventions targeting pregnant women and young people living in urban and rural locations in Northeast Scotland. The study design was developed on so-called 'realist' evaluation principles, which are concerned with the implementation of interventions as well as their outcomes.     

Reasons for not using smoking cessation aids

Background  

Few smokers use effective smoking cessation aids (SCA) when trying to stop smoking. Little is known why available SCA are used insufficiently. We therefore investigated the reasons for not using SCA and examined related demographic, smoking behaviour, and motivational variables.     

Protocol for the Smoking, Nicotine and Pregnancy (SNAP) trial: double-blind, placebo-randomised, controlled trial of nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy

Background  

Smoking in pregnancy remains a public health challenge. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is effective for smoking cessation in non-pregnant people, but because women metabolise nicotine and cotinine much faster in pregnancy, it is unclear whether this will be effective for smoking cessation in pregnancy. The NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA)-funded smoking, nicotine and pregnancy (SNAP) trial will investigate whether or not nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is effective, cost-effective and safe when used for smoking cessation by pregnant women.     

Comparison of CO breath testing and women's self-reporting of smoking behaviour for identifying smoking during pregnancy

Background  

Healthcare services often use a carbon monoxide (CO) breath test to validate self-reported smoking and to assess reductions in smoking habit. A cut-off level of ≥ 8 parts per million (p.p.m.) is used to identify smoking. This cut-off requires further validation in pregnant women.     

The influence of in-pregnancy smoking cessation programmes on partner quitting and women's social support mobilization: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN89131885]

Background  

Smoking cessation interventions in pregnancy could influence a woman's social behaviour and her partner's smoking behaviour, but this has not been examined in any published randomized trials.     

Smoking among pregnant women in Cantabria (Spain): trend and determinants of smoking cessation

Background  

Cantabria (Spain) has one of the highest prevalence of smoking among women of the European Union. The objectives are to assess the trend of smoking during pregnancy in a five-year period and the determinants of smoking cessation during pregnancy in Cantabria.     

Analysis of smoking cessation beliefs in pregnant smokers and ex-smokers using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Aim

To analyze the association between smoking cessation beliefs and smoking status, and between smoking cessations beliefs and intention to quit, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

Subjects and methods

An observational study using a questionnaire was performed; data were collected from 264 Flemish pregnant smokers and ex-smokers before week 16 of pregnancy.

Results

There was a significant difference in the behavioral beliefs of the TPB between smokers and ex-smokers, after controlling for education and age. All respondents experienced more support from their non-smoking partners to maintain abstinence during pregnancy. We found no significant difference in the behavioral beliefs of the TPB between respondents with low and high intention to quit smoking.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that attitude, subjective norms, support especially from the partner, and perceived behavioral control are associated with actual smoking behavior in pregnant women and not with intention to quit smoking. It is important to engage the partner and/or significant others in smoking cessation counselling so that they can support the pregnant woman in an attempt to quit or to maintain abstinence.

     

Examining smoking and cessation during pregnancy among an Appalachian sample: a preliminary view

Background  

Several transitions that a woman experiences prenatally may influence her desire or ability to discontinue smoking. This study explores the role of smoking for young, Appalachian, nulliparous pregnant women and their plans for smoking during their pregnancies.     

Socio-demographic factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among 426,344 pregnant women in New South Wales,Australia

Background  

This study explores the socio-demographic characteristics of pregnant women who continue to smoke during the pregnancy, and identifies the characteristics of the smokers who were likely to quit smoking during the pregnancy period.     

Effectiveness of intensive group and individual interventions for smoking cessation in primary health care settings: a randomized trial

Objectives  

Primary: To compare the effectiveness of intensive group and individual interventions for smoking cessation in a primary health care setting; secondary: to identify the variables associated with smoking cessation.     

Effects of smoking and smoking cessation on life expectancy in an elderly population in Beijing, China, 1992-2000: an 8-year follow-up study

Background

We assessed the effects of smoking and smoking cessation on life expectancy and active life expectancy among persons aged 55 years or older in Beijing.

Methods

This study included 1593 men and 1664 women who participated in the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging, which commenced in 1992 and had 4 survey waves up to year 2000. An abridged life table was used to estimate life expectancy, in which age-specific mortality and age-specific disability rates were adjusted by using a discrete-time hazard model to control confounders.

Results

The mean ages (SD) for men and women were 70.1 (9.25) and 70.2 (8.72) years, respectively; mortality and disability rates during follow-up were 34.7% and 8.0%, respectively. In both sexes, never smokers had the highest life expectancy and active life expectancy across ages, as compared with current and former smokers. Current heavy smokers had a shorter life expectancy and a shorter active life expectancy than light smokers. Among former smokers, male long-term quitters had a longer life expectancy and longer active life expectancy than short-term quitters, but this was not the case in women.

Conclusions

Older adults remain at higher risk of mortality and morbidity from smoking and can expect to live a longer and healthier life after smoking cessation.Key words: smoking, smoking cessation, life expectancy, active life expectancy, elderly population, discrete-time hazard model     

A comparison of patient recall of smoking cessation advice with advice recorded in electronic medical records

Background  

Brief cessation advice delivered to smokers during routine primary care consultations increases smoking cessation rates. However, in previous studies investigating recall of smoking cessation advice, smokers have reported more advice being received than is actually documented in their medical records. Recording of smoking cessation advice in UK primary care medical records has increased since the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in 2004, and so we compare recall and recording of cessation advice since this time to assess whether or not agreement between these two data sources has improved.     

RCT of a client-centred,caseworker-delivered smoking cessation intervention for a socially disadvantaged population

Background  

Disadvantaged groups are an important target for smoking cessation intervention. Smoking rates are markedly higher among severely socially disadvantaged groups such as indigenous people, the homeless, people with a mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction, and the unemployed than in the general population. This proposal aims to evaluate the efficacy of a client-centred, caseworker delivered cessation support intervention at increasing validated self reported smoking cessation rates in a socially disadvantaged population.     

Socio-demographic factors and processes associated with stages of change for smoking cessation in pregnant versus non-pregnant women

Background  

The tobacco control community assumes that the most effective interventions are personalized. Nevertheless, little attention is paid to understanding differences between pregnant and non-pregnant European women in terms of the social factors that influence tobacco use and the processes of change used to quit smoking.     

Are non-responders in a quitline evaluation more likely to be smokers?

Background  

In evaluation of smoking cessation programs including surveys and clinical trials the tradition has been to treat non-responders as smokers. The aim of this paper is to assess smoking behaviour of non-responders in an evaluation of the Swedish national tobacco cessation quitline a nation-wide, free of charge service.     

Work factors and smoking cessation in nurses' aides: a prospective cohort study

Background  

The prevalence of smoking in nursing personnel remains high. The aim of this study was to identify work factors that predict smoking cessation among nurses' aides.     

Smoking prevalence and smoking cessation services for pregnant women in Scotland

Background  

Over 20% of women smoke throughout pregnancy despite the known risks to mother and child. Engagement in face-to-face support is a good measure of service reach. The Scottish Government has set a target that by 2010 8% of smokers will have quit via NHS cessation services. At present less than 4% stop during pregnancy. We aimed to establish a denominator for pregnant smokers in Scotland and describe the proportion who are referred to specialist services, engage in one-to-one counselling, set a quit date and quit 4 weeks later.     

Impact of reproductive experience on women's smoking behaviour in Japanese nurses

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to describe current and past smoking behaviour of female Japanese nurses, to examine factors associated with developing and stopping a smoking habit, and to examine how their reproductive experiences affect their smoking behaviour. Study design: A cross-sectional study. This study was a baseline survey of a prospective occupational cohort study. METHODS: A self-administered survey of 1748 female Japanese nurses aged over 20 years was conducted in Gunma prefecture, Japan, in 1999. RESULTS: Overall, 27.2% developed a smoking habit (current smokers, 19.8%; ex-smokers, 7.4%) and 72.2% were never smokers. Logistic regression analysis showed that the type of nursing certificate was statistically associated with developing a smoking habit. It also showed that the type of nursing certificate, work place, marital status and current pregnancy were statistically associated with smoking cessation. Currently pregnant women were more likely to stop smoking than non-pregnant women (adjusted odds ratio, 3.18; 95% confidence intervals, 1.25-8.06). For women aged 20-29 years, the proportions of current smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers among pregnant women were 11.5, 23.1 and 65.4%, respectively; among non-pregnant women of this age, the values were 22.3, 4.3 and 73.4%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in such proportions between the two groups (chi2=19.27; P<0.0001). More than half of the ex-smokers who were currently pregnant had stopped smoking in the last 12 months. Smoking behaviour showed no statistically significant difference between women who had had at least one delivery and women who had not. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that pregnancy provides a good opportunity for smoking cessation, but a large proportion of women who successfully quit smoking during pregnancy relapse after delivery.     

Use of a liquid nicotine delivery product to promote smoking cessation

Background  

Despite access to various pharmacotherapies and counseling support to aid cessation, smokers typically demonstrate quit rates below 50%. This report describes the results of a Phase 2a study exploring the efficacy of a liquid nicotine delivery system as an aid to smoking cessation assessed after 12 weeks of therapy.