BREATHE Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Realist EvAluation to understand smoking Tobacco cessation and How to support pregnant womEn
IRAS ID
364173
Contact name
Tomasina Stacey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, days
Research summary
The BREATHE study will explore how best to support pregnant women to stop smoking, particularly those living in areas of social deprivation. Smoking during pregnancy is linked to serious health risks for both mothers and babies, including preterm birth, stillbirth, low birthweight and long-term health problems. Although free support to quit smoking is available across England, the type and intensity of help provided can vary between regions, and many women find it difficult to stop smoking during pregnancy.
This is a realist evaluation study, which does not simply ask “does this work?”, but instead asks “what works, for whom, in what circumstances?”. By doing this, the research can explain why some approaches to smoking cessation succeed in certain situations but may not in others.
The project will be carried out at three NHS Trusts in West Yorkshire. Researchers will conduct interviews with both pregnant women and the staff who provide smoking cessation support, to hear about their experiences. In addition, anonymised maternity and neonatal hospital data will be collected retrospectively over a continuous 12-month period at each site, from January 2025 to December 2025. Together, this information will help the team understand the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes that influence whether women are able to stop smoking during pregnancy.
The study will run for 22 months. Findings will be used to develop recommendations to improve how smoking cessation care is provided for pregnant women, aiming to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for mothers and babies. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, shared at conferences, and a summary will be made available to participants who wish to be informed.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0020
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jan 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion