Factors Influencing Women Smoking in Hull

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Factors Influencing Smoking in Hull: A study of women smokers and non-smokers (FISH)

  • IRAS ID

    209444

  • Contact name

    Helen Gibson

  • Contact email

    Helen.Gibson1@hyms.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Hull

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 5 months, 17 days

  • Research summary

    Smoking is the main cause of preventable death in the UK and in Hull levels of smoking are particularly high among women (33.9% compared to 18% in England). Two thirds more 15 year old girls in Hull smoke (25%) compared with 15 year old boys (15%). Between 2009 and 2011 of approximately 800 women in Hull that died 22% did so as a result of a cause linked with smoking. Smoking is recognised to have gender specific uptake trends and patterns and is also associated with socio-economic deprivation. Therefore, in the absence of literature to offer us answers, we are interested in why women in Hull smoke (or choose not to smoke) and how this information might be used by health care practitioners to support women in either i) not adopting smoking/remaining a non-smoker and ii) cessation.
    We intend to conduct focus groups and interviews with young women (age 16 and over) who live in deprived areas of Hull to explore the factors that determine their smoking, non-smoking, cessation, and access to cessation service/advice behaviours. We will recruit from the local community and smoking cessation services. The topic guide will include the following key areas of discussion:
    • Participants’ reasons for/decisions to smoke; not smoke; quit smoking
    • Participants’ knowledge and understanding of smoking-related risks/benefits
    • Participants’ knowledge and experience of smoking cessation services
    • Social, emotional and environmental understandings of women’s smoking behaviours
    • Women’s strategies for coping with stressful situations
    Focus groups and interviews will be recorded and transcribed verbatim and subject to content analysis to identify themes that address the areas of enquiry.

  • REC name

    East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/EE/0347

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Sep 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion