24 Jul 2012
Source:
Aboriginal Quitline Enhancement Project - Qualitative Research Report
In 2011, The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council(AH&MRC) and the Cancer Institute NSW commissioned the Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre (CIRCA) to undertake research with Aboriginal smokers and health workers/practitioners from across NSW.
The research found that awareness of the Quitline is very high among smokers and health workers/practitioners, with many having a broad understanding of the type of service offered by the Quitline. Despite this high level of awareness, however, only one smoker in the group discussions had previously accessed the Quitline. There was also only limited awareness among the participants of others who had contacted the Quitline. Similarly, few health workers/practitioners had recommended the Quitline to clients, or knew of clients that had accessed Quitline.
The research also provided information on the social context with regard to smoking, quitting experiences and quitting support preferences. Smoking is very closely associated with social situations, with family, friends and work colleagues. Most of the participants indicated that most people they know also smoke.
Stress was identified as a trigger for smoking with many participants indicating they felt that smoking helped to relieve stress and that stress was a key factor in previous unsuccessful quit attempts. There was considerable concern about the cost of smoking and many parents felt guilty about spending this money on cigarettes. Many noted that they have tried a variety of methods to quit.