Investigating changes in parents’ perceptions and attitudes of smoking in the home after a second hand smoke educational intervention in nurseries

MacNicol, Y.; Roberts, N.J.

Abstract

Exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) has negative consequences in children. There is a strong link between cigarette smoking and socio-economic groups, children from more deprived areas are at a higher risk of exposure to SHS in their home.

A previous study in Lothian1 aimed to raise awareness of SHS with parents and carers of primary aged children and the associated health risks of smoking in their homes/cars. This was achieved in partnership with primary schools who produced materials and delivered activities to the children. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde2 used a storybook to demonstrate the associated health risks of SHS and the association between primary school-based approaches to health behaviours and behaviour change. This study follows on from these studies and examines parents/carers experiences’ after the storybook was adapted by NHS Forth Valley for use in nurseries as a SHS intervention for parents/carers of nursery aged children in Clackmannanshire.

Parents/carers (current smokers or ex-smokers who had stopped smoking <6 months) from two nurseries participated in the study. Participants took part in a semi-structured interview about their experiences, perceptions and attitudes towards smoking in the home and to discuss, any changes to these following the intervention.

Emerging themes show that not all parents remembered the intervention, but all thought it might protect children from the dangers of SHS, it may encourage some parents to stop smoking in the home or completely and should be rolled out to all nurseries. Although all were still smoking they wanted to protect their children from SHS with most smoking outside. All participants welcomed the story telling resource and felt it would make some parents consider their smoking behaviours and some felt children could positively influence parents/carers into making effective health behaviour changes in relation to smoking.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Abstract
• Conference Name: British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Deposit Date: Jul 26, 2023
• Print ISSN: 0040-6376
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-3296
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 74
• Issue: suppl 2
• Pages: A115
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2019-btsabstracts2019.190
• Keywords: cigarette smoking