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Are quit attempts among U.S. female nurses who smoke different from female smokers in the general population? An analysis of the 2006/2007 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey 

ing.

Conclusions

Smoking prevalence among female nurses was lower than among women who were not in healthcare occupations, as expected. The lack of difference in recent quit efforts among female nurses as compared to other female smokers has not been previously reported. The link between lower level of nicotine dependence, as reflected by the longer time to first cigarette, and lower quit attempts among nurses needs further exploration.

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Effectiveness of a School Nurse–Delivered Smoking-Cessation Intervention for Adolescents 

Conclusions: A school nurse– delivered smoking-cessation intervention proved feasible and effective in improving short-term abstinence among adolescent boys and short-term reductions in smoking amount and frequency in both genders. Additional research is needed to enhance both cessation and maintained abstinence.

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• Can school nurses help teens quit smoking?  

Going to a few counseling sessions with a school nurse helped some high school students quit smoking in the short term -- but it didn't seem to influence whether they kicked the habit for good, according to a new study.

Out of about 1,000 teens who wanted to quit, less than one in five said they hadn't smoked recently a year down the line -- whether they had gotten counseling or educational pamphlets instead.

A few sessions with a nurse probably isn't "going to do it all," said Robin Mermelstein, who studies smoking cessation at the Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Relapsing is really the biggest problem at any age. Teens can be more vulnerable to relapse," Mermelstein, who wasn't involved in the new study, told Reuters Health.

But, she added, "The more options kids have for where they can go for help, the better."

The new study, published in Pediatrics, included nurses at 35 Massachusetts high schools and about 1,000 teens

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Registered Nurses’ smoking behaviours and their attitudes to personal cessation  

Conclusion.  Smoking rates amongst nurses in this sample have declined below smoking rates amongst the general population. Considering the low uptake of smoking cessation support reported in this study, targeted strategies must be developed sensitive to the potential intrapersonal-professional struggle related to personal smoking which is at odds with nurses’ health promotion role.

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A&E and mental health nurses most likely to smoke 

Nurses who work in accident and emergency or mental health settings are more likely to smoke than other nurses, according to an Australian study.

Researchers surveyed 1,029 nurses working across an urban health economy, of which 113 were current smokers.

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Smoking Cessation Can Reduce Late Side Effects of Radiotherapy  

ne-third of current smokers with head and neck cancer experienced substantial difficulties in swallowing 1 year after radiotherapy, according to the results of a Danish study.

In comparison, 20% of ex-smokers and just 10% of never-smokers experienced dysphagia as a late-occurring side effect. Current smoking also was linked to higher rates of mucosal edema, atrophy, fibrosis, dry mouth, and hoarseness or loss of voice compared with outcomes in ex- and never-smokers.

These findings highlight the importance of smoking cessation before and even during treatment, said Dorthe Wiinholdt, M.P.H., a radiotherapy technician nurse from Copenhagen University Hospital.

"As nurses, we see patients every day with side effects during treatment," she said May 9 at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology Anniversary Conference. "We talk to them about quitting smoking before treatment, because we know that smoking has an influence on efficacy and quality of life, and [in this study] we wanted to know if there was anything that patients could do for themselves to decrease the severity of these side effects."

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• BArriers and Facilitators to Smoke-free HOmes and Vehicles 

Perceived barriers and facilitators to smoke-free homes and vehicles were identified by parents, most of whom were mothers who had smoked during pregnancy and were of low socioeconomic status. Intra personal factors were most commonly identified as barriers, and among intrapersonal factors, personal nicotine addiction as opposed to addiction in others was mentioned most often. Interpersonal factors were also commonly noted, and included relationships and communication with others, such as the need to supervise young children, difficulties taking children outside, and dissension with partners and other relatives.

Results concur with previous work reporting that nicotine dependence (Hill et al., 2003), supervision of children (Halterman et al., 2007; Hill et al., 2003; Robinson & Kirkcaldy, 2007), issues with friends and relatives (Halterman et al., 2007; Hill et al., 2003; Wakefield et al., 2000), weather (Hill et al., 2003; Wakefield et al., 2000), unsafe outdoor environments (Halterman et al., 2007; Robinson & Kirkcaldy, 2007), and lack of outdoor space (Hill et al., 2003; Robinson & Kirkcaldy, 2007) are barriers. Similarly, these findings support previous findings (Green et al., 2003) that parents generally know and understand the adverse effects of secondhand smoke exposure but may lack specific information, such as the increased risk of inner ear infections (Helgason & Lund, 2001). Robinson and Kirkcaldy (2007) also found that parents were somewhat familiar with the scientific evidence concerning secondhand smoke exposure; however, they actively contested the evidence and constructed their own interpretations informed by personal experience and local networks.

The current study was unique in that it was conducted in a Canadian province that experiences harsh weather conditions. Weather was identified as a barrier to smoke-free homes in two previous studies, both of which were conducted in Australia (Hill et al., 2003; Wakefield et al., 2000). Severe weather conditions on the East Coast of Canada present different challenges to those wishing to smoke outside than weather conditions in Australia. . . .

Findings from this study have important practice implications. Frequent references to personal nicotine addiction and the degree of effort required to make homes and vehicles smoke-free suggest that transitioning to a smoke-free environment is difficult. Parents identified interpersonal facilitators as most effective, yet they most often relied on themselves to facilitate the change to a smoke-free status. None identified nurses or other health care providers as facilitators. Nurses need to assess the barriers experienced by each family to provide help that is relevant and useful. Nursing interventions must be multifaceted and individualized to address the multiple and diverse barriers experienced by families. Unidimensional "one-size-that fits all" interventions, such as providing education, do not reflect the reality for many families.

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Report Exposes Tobacco Giant Philip Morris’ Tactics 

A Report wired to AkanimoReports on Wednesday by Environmental Rights Action (ERA) claims that as Philip Morris International (PMI) executives heralded the corporation’s $27 billion revenues in 2010 at its annual shareholders’ meeting, another not-so-welcome account of the corporation’s activities was distributed to shareholders.

Corporate Accountability International yesterday released a report called “Philip Morris International Exposed: Alternative Annual Report, ”documenting the human toll of PMI’s profits and the range of tactics employed to grease the wheels for such earnings – tactics ranging from hiding behind front groups to litigation and intimidation of national governments.

“There may be 89 pages in PMI’s annual report from which shareholders can judge this corporation’s performance,” said Gigi Kellett, Challenging Big Tobacco campaign director for Corporate Accountability International. “But to truly understand PMI’s impact, you have to look at the enormous human costs it leaves off the ledger.”

The report, published by Corporate Accountability International, exposes the externalized costs and corruption of the cigarette giant’s business: . . .

In conjunction with the report release, advocates from around the country, along with a number of nurses with The Nightingales attended the annual shareholders’ meeting to directly challenge CEO Louis Camilleri and PMI for its global abuses, and to tell PMI to “Butt Out of Public Health.”

The report called attention to PMI’s increasing focus on expanding its markets to developing countries where the tobacco epidemic is taking the greatest toll. Big Tobacco’s death toll will rise to eight million people a year by 2030 — with 80 percent of those deaths occurring in the regions it is destructively targeting.

“Those countries, large and small, that refuse to be intimidated, are emboldening others to follow their lead,” said Philip Jakpor, head of media for Environmental Rights Action and spokesperson for NATT. “PMI has sought to thwart progress, but civil society in global solidarity is standing resolute against their advances.”

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Nurses on the front lines of battle against smoking  

The Barrie nurse knows that nearly half of all smokers want to quit: But it’s not that easy. Smoking is an addiction, a hard habit to kick, and the frustration of quitting only to start up again makes it even more difficult to believe that long-term success is possible.

Nurses know this; they want to help; and they can lead the way. Although nurses have been delivering the anti-smoking message for decades, they have stepped up the campaign over the past several months as part of a nation-wide smoking cessation project. As part of the campaign, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario has been encouraging its members through training and best practices initiatives to spread the word.

As frontline workers, nurses often have the first and most frequent contact with patients, giving them the most opportunity to listen to their health concerns and intervene. “We deal with patients all of the time, every day. It’s part of our job to watch out for their health,” explains Tonn, who works for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit in the chronic disease prevention program.

This natural relationship with patients allows nurses to explore all health concerns. If the patient is a smoker, a process called the 4 As takes place. The 4 As — ask, advise, assist and arrange — is a simple process that lets nurses be proactive. And they don’t pussyfoot around: they want you to quit. . . .

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is taking a page from marketing firms who know how to get their message out: Get ’em while they are young!

The RNAO has developed a guide to help educators integrate smoking-cessation content into the curriculum at nursing schools.

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• A Nurse’s Mission To Keep Chinese Women From Smoking 

But if Dr. Linda Sarna, DNSc, has anything to do with it, Chinese women will be sheltered from the nicotine habit.

Sarna, a researcher from UCLA Nursing School, is on a mission to keep Chinese women from getting hooked. She is engaging China’s nurses - a mighty 1.65 million of them - in a program to identify and treat smokers.

“In the U.S., in the late 1960’s, few women smoked," says Sarna. "Then smoking was aligned with feminism and equal rights. Tobacco companies created a brand for the independent woman adding a cigarette to the picture. It will only be a matter of time before the same thing happens in China."

From a cultural perspective she has a battle on her hands. Inside China’s business environments strict hierarchy runs rampant where questioning the boss is difficult. China is also a masculine society where females are emerging slowly as leaders but typically the boss is a male.

The nursing profession is no different. . . .

Sarna’s project is gaining momentum with 1,000 nurses in Beijing preparing to engage in a year long distance learning program about reducing smoking. The program will be lead by Sarna and her advocate in China, Dr Sophia Chan, who initiated the partnership with UCLA over a decade ago. . . .

Competition is also arriving from the U.S. Phillip Morris recently signed a deal to sell its cigarettes inside the country. Sarna saw the implications of this first hand: Chinese women dressed up as Marlboro Cowboys giving away free cigarettes at a local shopping mall. Most industry analysts say this is only the beginning

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Residential Program Helps Heavy Smokers Sustain Abstinence  

Heavy smokers have a significantly better chance of quitting and abstaining long-term if they receive residential treatment than if they receive standard outpatient treatment, according to a study.

In a study for the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 52% of patients were still not smoking six months after residential treatment, compared with 26% in an outpatient treatment setting.

"This means there is hope for patients who are tobacco dependent and feel they have exhausted every other means of trying to quit smoking," says Taylor Hays, MD, a Mayo Clinic nicotine dependence specialist and an author of this study.

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• Second-hand smoke linked to diabetes 

Cigarette smoke is tied to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, both for smokers and the people around them, a new study shows.

And the more secondhand smoke people are exposed to, the greater their risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the paper in Diabetes Care.

The potential risks of diabetes from being exposed to secondhand smoke weren't previously known, said Dr. David Nathan, who heads the Diabetes Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and is a professor at Harvard Medical School.

"This just reinforces the lesson from a public health point of view that we've been stressing for decades," which is to limit exposure to cigarette smoke, Nathan, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health.

For the new research, Dr. John P. Forman at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and colleagues looked at the responses of more than 100,000 women to questionnaires they had answered in 1982. The women -- all nurses participating in a national study that would last several decades -- provided information about how much time they spent around cigarette smoke.

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Prestigious oncology nursing conference spotlights UCLA School of Nursing research  

Highlighting the UCLA School of Nursing's commitment to leading-edge research aimed at improving cancer screening and care, four members of the school's faculty will present important findings at the Oncology Nursing Society's annual research conference this week in Los Angeles.

"Critically important clinical research is taking place at nursing schools around the country, and UCLA is proud to be one of the leaders in this effort," said Dr. Ann Williams, associate dean for research. "These combined efforts are helping to transform the nursing profession in ways that will make immeasurable contributions to the nation's health."

Among the topics the faculty will address are culturally sensitive approaches to oncology nursing, the efficacy of Web-based surveys in research, and smoking-cessation efforts.

On Feb. 10, professor Eunice Lee will discuss her research on increasing mammogram screening among Korean American women by addressing their beliefs, knowledge, self-efficacy and their perceptions of support from their husbands. Lee is also co-author of a poster presentation that will outline the use of individual interviews to establish "culturally appropriate belief instruments" for colorectal cancer screenings among Korean Americans.

Linda P. Sarna, an expert on oncology nursing and tobacco control, will present a paper Feb. 11 describing the differences in nurses' efforts to help patients quit smoking in California, West Virginia and Indiana. In addition, Stella Bialous, a collaborator with Sarna, will present her findings on compliance with smoke-free policies at health care facilities.

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Nurses are key to helping smokers butt out 

It takes the typical smoker five to seven attempts to kick the habit.

A little intervention from a health care professional, such as asking a smoker if they want to butt out for good and offering support, can make all the difference in achieving success.

Now, don't be surprised if the next time you come in contact with a nurse, you get hit with the four As: ask, advise, assist and arrange.

As part of a national non-smoking campaign unveiled Monday, Jan. 17 in North York, nurses across the country are asking patients if they have used tobacco in the past six months, advising smokers quitting is the best thing they can do for their health, assisting them with information and self-help materials and arranging for follow up or referral to smoking cessation programs.

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MEDIA ADVISORY: Nurses to help thousands of smokers butt out during National Non-Smoking Week 

When nurses intervene, smokers quit. That's the message the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) wants to spread when National Non-Smoking Week (January 16 - 22, 2011) gets underway next week.

"Smoking is one of the most important public health threats of our time. We know that 37,000 deaths a year in Canada are linked to tobacco use. Research shows that reaching out to people is one of the most important steps in determining a smoker's willingness to quit," explains Irmajean Bajnok, an RN and Director of RNAO's Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) program in Toronto.

"Nurses who spend as little as three minutes having conversations with smokers about quitting can make a difference," says Bajnok adding arming nurses with the  best available evidence from the RNAO's Smoking Cessation BPG is the key to reducing smoking rates.

"Nurses are often the first and most frequent point of contact with patients," says Justine Navarro, a registered nurse who is leading the RNAO's National Smoking Cessation Initiative. "We are in the community, in hospitals, in people's homes, and we focus both on illness care and health promotion. We're trusted health-care professionals and if you want to quit, we can help."

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