Understanding smoking in the life course of disadvantaged young people aged 16-25: a grounded theory study

Despite the plethora of studies on smoking and disadvantage, there is limited qualitative research specifically examining the lived experiences of disadvantaged young people. In Australia, smoking prevalence among highly marginalised and disadvantaged young people is known to be higher than that in the general population. However, the processes of uptake and transition to regular smoking, quitting or never smoking are not well understood. The aim of this study is to contribute to an understanding of how socioeconomically disadvantaged and socially marginalised young people’s smoking and non-smoking pathways are shaped. Using grounded theory methodology, a substantive theory of the processes of becoming a smoker, quitting or remaining a never smoker is constructed. Primary data were interviews with a diverse sample of young people aged 16 to 25 who were clients of a health service for homeless and at risk youth, as well as youth workers. Informed by lifecourse studies of childhood and cumulative exposure to adversity, three typologies of smoking/non-smoking trajectories are developed and contrasted. Drawing on a psycho-social model of resilience, the processes of identity reinvention and reinforcement in both quitting and never smoking are examined. The intersection between stigmatised identity and smoking among marginalised young people is then explored, in a context where smoking is increasingly socially unacceptable. Finally, the functional purposes of smoking are analysed with a focus on the complex relationship between smoking, emotional coping, and the desire for self-care or self-damage. Differences connected to underlying self-worth, and potential implications for smoking cessation and self-harm management are proposed. The thesis concludes by integrating the different elements of the theory, outlining potential implications for tobacco control and suggesting future research priorities

Can Facebook help reduce smoking? A qualitative study to investigate how to use social media for tobacco control among Australian Indigenous people

Background The tobacco industry was quick to exploit social media to subvert tobacco advertising and promotion bans, and directly connect with consumers. Social media offers similar opportunities for tobacco control, however evidence for how to effectively use it to influence behaviour is limited. The aim of this study was to understand how traditional mass media and peer influence approaches may need to be adapted for Facebook-based strategies. Methods Community-based Indigenous peer researchers who were active Facebook users were recruited to share tobacco control content weekly from January to June 2017. Peer researchers were given three content options each week, and required to share at least one. They documented reasons for their choice and recorded both online and offline interactions it generated. Contacts from within the peer researchers' networks were interviewed face-to-face to understand the real world impact of the content, particularly posts which generated no online interaction. Data was inductively analysed using grounded theory methodology. Results Messages which were direct, positive, specific and relatable for Aboriginal people's values and social context, and which had practical information were favoured. Content that leveraged people's care and concern for children was most likely to be shared, even if the content was international. The impact on peer researchers' Facebook contacts varied significantly. Some reported never seeing the content; others were directly impacted - including quitting smoking as a direct result of posts. Conclusions The popularity of a Facebook post, as measured by visible reactions such as likes, shares and comments, does not necessarily equate with its real world impact. Shocking and graphic tobacco control messages used for traditional mass media campaigns are often bypassed or ignored by both smokers and non-smokers when sharing content on Facebook. Further research is required around the impact of tobacco control campaigns which are strengths-based and target Indigenous people

Can Facebook help reduce smoking? A qualitative study to investigate how to use social media for tobacco control among Australian Indigenous people

Background The tobacco industry was quick to exploit social media to subvert tobacco advertising and promotion bans, and directly connect with consumers. Social media offers similar opportunities for tobacco control, however evidence for how to effectively use it to influence behaviour is limited. The aim of this study was to understand how traditional mass media and peer influence approaches may need to be adapted for Facebook-based strategies. Methods Community-based Indigenous peer researchers who were active Facebook users were recruited to share tobacco control content weekly from January to June 2017. Peer researchers were given three content options each week, and required to share at least one. They documented reasons for their choice and recorded both online and offline interactions it generated. Contacts from within the peer researchers' networks were interviewed face-to-face to understand the real world impact of the content, particularly posts which generated no online interaction. Data was inductively analysed using grounded theory methodology. Results Messages which were direct, positive, specific and relatable for Aboriginal people's values and social context, and which had practical information were favoured. Content that leveraged people's care and concern for children was most likely to be shared, even if the content was international. The impact on peer researchers' Facebook contacts varied significantly. Some reported never seeing the content; others were directly impacted - including quitting smoking as a direct result of posts. Conclusions The popularity of a Facebook post, as measured by visible reactions such as likes, shares and comments, does not necessarily equate with its real world impact. Shocking and graphic tobacco control messages used for traditional mass media campaigns are often bypassed or ignored by both smokers and non-smokers when sharing content on Facebook. Further research is required around the impact of tobacco control campaigns which are strengths-based and target Indigenous people

Constituents of smoke from cigarettes made from diverted nicotine replacement therapy patches.

Anecdotes of nicotine replacement therapy patch misuse associated with the introduction of smoke-free prisons have been reported by media internationally, including Canada in 2006, New Zealand in 2011 and Australia in 2014. This study identifies chemical compounds released through diverted nicotine replacement therapy patches when they are smoked. Two samples were produced: (i) shredded 21?mg nicotine replacement therapy patches rolled with tea leaves into a cigarette; and (ii) patches boiled in water and tea leaves, and then dried tea leaves rolled into a cigarette. The smoke was tested for nicotine, caffeine and toxins. High-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and spectrophotometry were used to detect the presence and quantity of nicotine and caffeine. A specialised laboratory was contracted to test the presence of toxins. Nicotine was liberated when the two samples were burnt but not if the nicotine replacement therapy patches were boiled in water alone. High concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, toluene, xylene and heavy metals were also released. Nicotine is released when diverted nicotine replacement therapy patches are smoked, as are caffeine and harmful toxins. These toxins have the potential to cause short- and long-term health damage

Social media and health information sharing among Australian Indigenous people

AbstractDespite the enormous potential of social media for health promotion, there is an inadequate evidence base for how they can be used effectively to influence behaviour. In Australia, research suggests social media use is higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than the general Australian population; however, health promoters need a better understanding of who uses technologies, how and why. This qualitative study investigates what types of health content are being shared among Aboriginal and Torres Strait people through social media networks, as well as how people engage with, and are influenced by, health-related information in their offline life. We present six social media user typologies together with an overview of health content that generated significant interaction. Content ranged from typical health-related issues such as mental health, diet, alcohol, smoking and exercise, through to a range of broader social determinants of health. Social media-based health promotion approaches that build on the social capital generated by supportive online environments may be more likely to generate greater traction than confronting and emotion-inducing approaches used in mass media campaigns for some health topics.</jats:p