Precedent Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study to explore stakeholder views on children’s secondhand smoke interventions within hospitals
IRAS ID
259460
Contact name
Laura L Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is released into the atmosphere when tobacco products are burned and then inhaled by bystanders, such as children. There is no safe level of exposure to SHS. 39% of English children who live with smokers are regularly exposed to SHS in the home, exposure to SHS is causally associated with children's morbidity and mortality.
Children exposed to SHS are at an increased risk of anaesthetic-related harms when undergoing planned and emergency surgical procedures. Children who grow up with smokers are over twice as likely to become smokers themselves and becoming a regular smoker doubles their risk of premature death, particularly from cancer.
Parental smoking and household smoking bans are the two main determinants of a child’s level of SHS exposure in high income countries with comprehensive smoker-free legislation, such as the UK. The most effective way to reduce children’s exposure to SHS is to encourage their parents to quit smoking. However, for parents who cannot or are unable to quit, there is a need to support families to change their home smoking behaviours (such as to support them to make their homes smoke-free) to reduce the harm to children living in their household. Smoking families are potentially reachable within the hospital setting and healthcare professionals (HCPs) are perceived as credible, respected sources of health-related advice. Parents who access care for their child in paediatric emergency departments are reported to be motivated to quit and receptive to smoking cessation advice. Such hospital contact may provide a teachable moment to raise parental awareness to the harms of childhood exposure to SHS and an opportunity to motivate parents to make changes to their smoking behaviours.
This study will use qualitative methods to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and acceptability of a hospital initiated and/or delivered intervention to change parents home smoking behaviours among key stakeholders (parents/carers and HCPs).REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0171
Date of REC Opinion
13 Aug 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion