 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Pamela K. Pletsch, PhD, RN1, Anna L. Kratz, BS2, Christina Wong, MPH3, and Sun S. Kim, PhD, RN1. (1) School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, CB#7460, Carington Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460, (919)966-4864, ppletsch@email.unc.edu, (2) School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, (3) Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 310 A Rosenau, CB 7400, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
The experiences of women who are self-initiated quitters can provide valuable insights for relapse prevention intervention improvement. The purpose of this study was to learn from the success stories of women who quit smoking during pregnancy. A prospective longitudinal qualitative design was used to describe the self-initiated smoking cessation experiences of pregnant women. Participants were interviewed twice during pregnancy and again at 3 months postpartum using a semi-structured interview guide. Questions included women’s stories of smoking initiation, previous and current cessation experiences, thoughts of resuming smoking postpartum, pregnancy-related experiences such as nausea and vomiting, and smoking resumption experiences. Interviews were conducted in women’s homes, tape recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Narrative summaries were developed and profiles were created related to cravings, aversions and reasons for stopping smoking. The findings are from interviews with 15 women. The mean age of participants was 24 years, 8 were African American, 4 non-Latina white, 2 Latina, and 1 Native American. Six were primiparas and 9 were multiparas. Mean education was 12 years and mean household income was $1643 per month. All participants smoked mentholated cigarettes. Women had multiple reasons for stopping smoking which included an aversion to the taste and smell of cigarettes, concerns for the baby, pressure from family and friends, and a general readiness to quit. The sensory findings are consistent with studies of pregnant women’s increased sensitivity to bitter tasting substance as a protective mechanism during organogenesis. We will discuss strategies for using women’s profiles for intervention improvement.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Tobacco Control, Maternal and Child Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.