Health Perceptions, Smoking and Health Status.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A cross sectional study of smoking, health perceptions and health status amongst people with and without HIV attending Sexual Health Clinics
IRAS ID
106455
Contact name
Dr Clara Kalu
Contact email
Research summary
The prevalence of smoking amongst people living with HIV has remained consistently higher than that of the general population. Reasons attributed to this include a higher prevalence of other substance misuse, risk taking behaviour, social deprivation and high rates of anxiety and depression. Many people living with HIV feel they ought to improve their health, although only half of this group actually do so.
HIV is an independent risk factor for smoking related diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, tuberculosis and lung cancers.
Recent evidence suggests that almost 50% of smokers attempting to quit now stop without planning, usually provoked by an environmental trigger, and that these attempts succeed for longer. These triggers can be health concerns, for example at the time of HIV diagnosis, or advice from health professionals. National guidance suggests this is a cost effective intervention and should be routine practice, however research shows that healthcare professionals involved in HIV care may avoid discussion of smoking cessation, either because they don't perceive a demand, they smoke themselves or that the patient would be resistant to quitting.
This study will use a questionnaire that look into health beliefs, cardiovascular and respiratory disease risk factors, previous smoking cessation attempts, use and beliefs around flu and pneumonia vaccination, We will use spirometry to evaluate the proportion of people with existing lung disease.
The aim will be to measure the prevalence of smoking and airway disease in a UK HIV clinic and in two sexual health clinics, estimate the potential benefit of smoking cessation and develop strategies to aid cessation programmes.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1646
Date of REC Opinion
17 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion