Smoking cessation services: Qualitative research
Summary of findings
Key insights
Beginning to Smoke
- The primary trigger in starting to smoke is teenage peer pressure.
Smoking – The Positives & Negatives
- The most positive aspect of smoking is perceived as the increased level of calmness and stress relief. Also reduces boredom.
- Negatives far outweigh positives and include: health effect, smell, cost, social exclusion.
Quitting Smoking
- Most have attempted to stop in the past, primarily by going ‘cold turkey’. Few have engaged with their GP or Stop Smoking Service. The Service is regarded positively by those who have engaged with it.
- All agree that smoking is addictive, and that determination is required to stop.
- All are fearful of the change that not smoking would bring. Fears relate to weight gain and mood change.
Attitudes to the ideas for the intervention
Trigger Points – Birth tent cards & follow-up visits from a health professional to offer quit services
- Not motivating. Regarded as being commonly practiced behaviour, thus unnecessary.
Family Interventions – People wanting to quit for the sake of their children
- Not motivating, as it is argued that children are mainly grown-up and have left home.
Smell – poster / leaflet campaign
- Not regarded as ‘new news’. Most have seen similar campaigns in the past that have not encouraged them to quit.
Weight Gain – 6 sessions with Slimming World for successful quitters
- Highly motivating, particularly to females, due to addressing the key fear of weight gain. Even more attractive if combined with a physical activity – and then also draws in males.
Group support – Physical activity to reduce boredom & award ceremony on QTV in GP’s surgeries
- Physical activity is recognised as necessary, but most reject the idea of being placed in the spotlight at an awards ceremony.
Money Saved by Quitting – poster / leaflet campaign
- Although cost saving is seen as a major benefit, this campaign is not motivating as it is not ‘new news.
Improved Taste – meal voucher for successful quitters
- Rejected, as it seems to encourage putting on weight!
Motivation – raffle for various high quality prizes
- Winning is not a certainty, so pales next to ideas that offer tangible incentives.
Health Professionals – Tabletop prompts & flagging up smoking at routine visits
- GPs are not always regarded positively. This results in their being little opportunity to put the idea into practice, and a degree of scepticism about it
Vouchers for the Stop Smoking Shop – from pharmacists, corner shops
- Regarded positively, particularly if received from pharmacists.
Enhanced Offering from Stop Smoking Shop – pamper opportunities & Internet access
- Generated great excitement, particularly from females, but also some males. Meets a key need to remain calm and control stress.
Boredom Busters – stress balls, hobbies
- Positively received.
Winning ideas
- Weight loss support
- Physical activity support
- Pampering opportunities
- Boredom busters
Research objectives
To pre-test ideas for a social marketing intervention aimed at engaging with Rotherham smokers to encourage them to quit smoking with the aid of the Rotherham Stop Smoking Service.
Background
None provided beyond that stated in the summary (above).
Quick summary
Research to pre-test ideas for a social marketing intervention aimed at engaging with Rotherham smokers to encourage them to quit smoking with the aid of the Rotherham Stop Smoking Service.
Audience Summary
Gender
Ethnicity
Not specified
Age
Not specified
Methodology
Methodology
2x focus groups:
- 1x female smokers
- 1x male smokers
Data collection methodology
Sample size
2 focus groups. Actual number of participants not specified.
Detailed region
Rotherham
Fieldwork dates
24 April 2008