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Promotion of physical activity as a cessation aid by NHS stop smoking advisors
Emma Everson, Research Fellow, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK and Adrian Taylor, Professor, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK
Abstract
Physical activity (PA) can alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings during abstinence (Taylor, Ussher and Faulkner, 2007) and thus can be a useful aid for smoking cessation advisors (SCAs) to promote. We explored the factors that influence SCAs promotion of PA in NHS stop smoking clinics. A survey was developed to assess readiness to promote PA (for weight and craving management), beliefs about PA as an aid, and background (age, gender, personal PA), and administered to 170 UK SCAs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 SCAs, to explore these issues in greater detail. Fifty-five percent of SCAs reported promoting PA. SCAs with a higher level of readiness to promote PA tended to be more physically active themselves, and had greater confidence to promote PA and confidence in the usefulness of PA as a cessation aid. Themes generated from the interviews were: pros and cons of PA promotion while quitting; issues in promoting multiple health behaviour change; how advisors promote PA; facilitators and barriers of promoting PA; and SCA training needs. SCA training should focus on changing beliefs about the role of PA as an aid to quitting, and should build confidence in advisors to promote PA as a cessation aid.
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About the presenters
Dr Emma Everson was recently awarded her PhD for research on physical activity and smoking abstinence in young people. She is currently a Research Fellow for the NPRI funded Walk-2-Quit project, led by Drs Adrian Taylor and Michael Ussher.
Dr Adrian Taylor is an Associate Professor in Exercise and Health Psychology, in the School of Sport and Health Sciences, at the University of Exeter. He has published 11 peer reviewed journal articles on the role of exercise as an aid to smoking cessation, in esteemed journals such as Psychopharmacology, Addiction, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, and Patient Education and Counselling. His broader research focus is on the mental health benefits of exercise, and he is currently involved in 3 exercise trials, and ongoing acute exercise and smoking studies.
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